Food and drink · International Hot and Spicy Food Day 2026
South Devon Chilli Farm turns up the heat in January
South Devon Chilli Farm brought a warming January story to BBC local radio on the 2026 International Hot and Spicy Food Day. It earned 11 items of coverage and a combined reach of 2.2 million.
- Items of coverage
- 11
- Combined reach
- 2.2 million
- Time on air
- 1h 33m
- Return on investment
- 15:1
Listen: BBC Radio WM, 9m 54s
The brief
The farm wanted more people to know it as a sustainable British chilli grower. It also wanted listeners to think of it as the home of British chillies.
The angle
We pitched chillies as a family-friendly answer to the January blues. Fewer than one in two Brits would call themselves bold with spicy food, even though chillies are packed with vitamins A and C. A light, upbeat food story is exactly what a mid-morning or afternoon presenter needs in a gloomy month.
On air
One of the farm's directors spoke to the stations.
The result
The campaign delivered 11 items and 1 hour 33 minutes on air, reaching 2.2 million with a 15:1 return on investment. BBC Radio WM, BBC Radio Stoke, BBC Radio Nottingham and BBC Radio Shropshire were among the highlights.
Coverage highlights
- BBC Radio WMBBC radio
- BBC Radio StokeBBC radio
- BBC Radio NottinghamBBC radio
- BBC Radio LeicesterBBC radio
- BBC Radio Coventry and WarwickshireBBC radio
- BBC Radio DerbyBBC radio
- BBC Radio CambridgeshireBBC radio
- BBC Radio Hereford and WorcesterBBC radio
- BBC Radio ShropshireBBC radio
What the budget bought
| Campaign budget | £3,600 |
|---|---|
| Coverage delivered | £8,350 |
| Advertising value equivalent | £18,028 |
| PR value | £54,084 |
| Return on investment | 15:1 |
Figures from the campaign's Relations Group coverage report. AVE is what the same airtime would have cost as advertising.
Small food producers can compete for airtime by offering a cheerful, useful story when the rest of the news agenda is heavy.
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