Today we’re with Shane Dryden, creator of the inaugural Chilli Growing Competition. Here is his entry, as we’re sure you’ll recall, bright and wonderful with a big white ‘backer’ for reflecting more light onto his chilli’s.

We had a few words with him and found his answers intriguing if not somewhat bizarre.

Chilli Comp Panel:Your strategy for winning this contest.

Shane: Biochemical engineering. That’s all I am allowed to say at this stage of the competition.

Chilli Comp Panel: What does that actually mean, ‘biochemical’?

Shane: I haven’t the foggiest. I was pretending to be intelligent.

Chilli Comp Panel: (cough Julius Malema cough cough) Who would you say your biggest competitor is?

Shane: Definitely Dale – she has been known to pull some serious moves and she has a wicked sense of humour. My mom taught me to be careful of people like that.

Chilli Comp Panel: What you are going to do with your prize?

Shane: Seeing as the prize is an entire day off work – I will probably come to work anyway just to show everyone that I am really committed to Yuppiechef. That will score me some long term brownie points which should ultimately work in my favour.

Chilli Comp Panel: Thoughts on the competition so far?

Shane: I am very surprised at the standard of this competition, it’s clear that everyone has done their research and are (sic) well prepared. I feel that gender testing should have been introduced earlier on in the competition, I am a little concerned by how masculine some of the female competitors and their sprouts are looking.

Wow! Perhaps after watching District 9 Shane has lost the ability to be non-prejudiced. Perhaps his mother gave him some stick in his upbringing…  who knows? Either way folks, we have a serious contender here in Shane. His Chilli bush is leading the way with almost 7 full sprouts now. Check this picture taken yesterday:

Ok, so some of them look a bit like weeds, but give him some credit ‘a little weed is better than nothing’.