Mum’s chilli recipe has become a growing business for the founder of The Devil’s Tears, who has sealed a state-wide supply deal with Coles.
Mum’s chilli recipe has become a growing business for the founder of The Devil’s Tears, who has sealed a state-wide supply deal with Coles.
The Devil’s Tears, founded by Jewel Jackson-Fisher, has been supplying chilli sauce to select Coles stores around Perth since 2019 and as of this month will be available at more than 86 Coles supermarkets.
“We were overwhelmed and over the moon when we found out,” Ms Jackson-Fisher told Business News.
“We never thought we’d get large enough to present ourselves to Coles and have them distribute our products so it’s huge for us.”
Having moved to Western Australia from San Francisco in 1979, Ms Jackson-Fisher said her farm was one of the first to be certified organic in the state.
It was here she began planting habanero variety chilli peppers, originating from Mexico.
“The chilis loved the climate here,” she said.
Before pioneering her trademark hot sauce, Ms Jackson-Fisher had been distributing her organic produce to different retail outlets around Perth.
Following 17 years of participation in an annual chilli festival, Ms Jackson-Fisher was encouraged by her husband and friends to take her business further.
“I contacted Coles, told them about the Devil’s Tears, and they gave us a trial,” she said.
“It exceeded all of our expectations and went from 12 stores in 12 months to state-wide.”
Ms Jackson-Fisher attributed the original recipe for The Devil’s Tears sauce to her mother but said that it required some adaptation for the Australian taste.
“Basically, my mum made it too hot,” she said.
“I had to lessen certain ingredients to calm it down a bit and make it a little more palatable for Australians.”
As The Devil’s Tears hits WA shelves, Ms Jackson-Fisher is hopeful for further expansion.
“The next step absolutely is to go nationwide,” she said.
“We would like to see The Devil’s Tears in every Coles store throughout Australia…it’s an Australian story and an Australian product.”
In a statement, Coles WA general manager Pat Zanetti said the retailer was committed to supporting local jobs.
“We want to support local producers in any way we can, and we are so thankful that The Devil’s Tears reached out to us with such a unique product” Mr Zanetti said.
The move is part of a wider Buy West Eat Best program supporting the local food and beverage industry in WA.
