It’s hotter than hot or not all, as MARION SAUVEBOIS speaks to the founder of the Chilli Fiesta, which is on its way here.

IF it’s not basted in piccante glazes, brushed with scorching powder, sprinkled with fiery flakes of pimento or doused in chipotle oil, it simply won’t be on show at Swindon’s annual Chilli Fiesta.

From beer and mojitos to cheese and jams, down to the last barbecued drumstick on the grill, everything at the festival will be infused, slathered or dunked in bell pepper or Jalapeño.

Founder Alexander Mustang has made darn sure of it.

The purist will not even make an exception for heat-stamping water at the Wharf Green feast. This chilli malarkey, clearly, is not for the faint of heart – or palate.

"It's a religious homage to chilli," he booms. "If I can say no to water, you see how serious this chilli event is.

"This time we're back with fresh blood to spice up the place.

"If you’re thirsty, you can wash it all down with the exclusive chilli drinks, such as chilli mojito, chilli tequila beer - and even chilli cider will be on offer.”

Given his unbending principles and chilli hardline, it is difficult to believe he was once summarily roped into organising his first festival.

"It originally started out as a favour to help a friend who is events co-ordinator for Adur Council in Sussex," says the 48-year-old from London.

"We were just having a casual chat and he basically asked me if I had any ideas to lift the local economy and bring people in. He didn't just want another food festival.

"I had been to a few chilli festivals so I suggested that. He turned around and said, 'You do it!'.

"I had never organised any events. I am a designer. He asked me to come up with a blueprint for the event. He fixed the date for a year later in July 2011."

Thankfully his zeal for chilli festivals meant he had built a rather meaty address book of traders, many of whom he enlisted as exhibitors for the chilli fiesta.

"I've always liked a challenge," he adds. "The idea was that it had to be about chilli and nothing else. We wouldn't have ice cream or fizzy drinks - that wasn't the point. It took about three months to plan.

"I kept coming up with ideas and scrapping them. We had to have things people couldn't buy in shops. It had to be unique."

The fiesta came and went and Alexander put it firmly out his mind – until, out of curiosity, he logged into the Facebook profile he had created to promote the event.

The page had been inundated with friend requests and hundreds of comments eagerly inquiring about the date and venue of his next festival.

Five years on he is the founder of Chilli Fest UK, one of the fastest growing not-for-profit food festival businesses in the nation.

The format for the Chilli Fiesta has remained virtually unchanged since 2011, with an average of 15 exhibitors at every event.

Keen to give a platform to small independents in a niche industry, Alexander carefully handpicks each trader set to peddle their fares and wares at the festivals.

So far 14 chilli producers and caterers have been confirmed for the third Swindon Chilli Fiesta including Pimento, Chew Chew BBQ, Chilli Cocktail Bar, Thunder Road, Chilli Cheese Man, Med Foods, Chilli Face, Should I Coco, Sonny Chilli Artist, Wiltshire Chilli Farm, Ho Ho Chilli and Mei Chilli Sauces.

Many of them will be debuting new hot dips, salsas and deli products.

Alexander himself, who started his own brand of Indian sauces in 2014 along with his mother and chef Aunty Jee, will showcase his ranges, Naga Masala and Naga Dips, at the fiesta.

"It's a way to create an economy for small chilli producers,” he says.

“Chilli producers are very small and they wouldn't be able to reach as far as they have without this.

"All the products we have can't be found in supermarkets - so people can go away with something exclusive. That's what makes us different.

"I also wanted to keep it small so we usually have no more than 20 stalls. I want it to have a personal, community feel. It's small, it's free and it belongs to Swindon."

Around 3,000 people are expected to flock Wharf Green on Saturday, July 30.

A hardy few will be invited to test their stamina by chowing down on some of the world's hottest chillies at the much-awaited Clash of the Titans contest.

This barmy battle of the chilli-heads is undoubtedly the highlight of the fiesta; and every year scores of new contenders eagerly queue up to be subjected to excruciating pain.

"It's about suffering the pain of chilli mayhem," he laughs.

"People don't come for fun, they come for pain and they love it. It's a laugh. I don't know what it is, but that's the English attitude.

"If it's not hotter than hot we don't want it. They want to scream, suffer and come back for more."

The Swindon Chilli Fiesta takes place at Wharf Green on July 30 from 10.30am to 5.30pm. Entry is free.

To find out more go to www.chillifest.net