Now in its 19th year, West Dean Chilli Fiesta has grown from exceedingly small beginnings to become the UK’s largest event of its kind.

Last year 22,000 people flocked to West Dean Gardens, near Chichester, to eat, sleep and breath chillies.

Three days packed with everything chilli-related, from tastings and cookery demonstrations, to food and drink stalls, to live music with a Latin flavour, attract visitors from all over the UK and beyond to the site in the South Downs National Park.

It all started in 1995, after head gardeners Sarah Wain and husband Jim Buckland, who have been restoring the gardens at West Dean since the early 1990s, returned from a trip to America, where they had visited a local chilli fiesta.

The first West Dean Chilli Fiesta consisted of a few trestle tables, but now there are more than 150 stalls and tastings, chillis of all descriptions as well as celebrity chefs and experts on hand over three days.

Sarah and Jim still play a very active part in the festival says Samantha Moore, public events manager at West Dean.

“We have got experts from all over the country coming to give talks on everything from the plants themselves, to the making of things with them,” adds Samantha.

“There are celebrity chefs, live music every day, and lots of children’s activities.”

The Chilli Fiesta will run from August 8 to 10, 10.30am to 11.30pm, with festivities taking place on the front lawn and picnic lawn, with two stages in addition to the dozens of stalls.

Among the celebrities on the programme are Wayne Sleep, Celebrity Masterchef contestant, dancer and judge on ITV's Stepping Out, who will be demonstrating in the Cookery Theatre, and will be cooking alongside popular seasonal cook, Rosemary Moon.

Award-winning chocolatier, Paul Wayne Gregory, will be creating a special selection of handmade chilli chocolates for the Chilli Fiesta, demonstrating how to infuse chilli into a ganache to create truffles and bonbons. His recipes have been developed so that adding chilli to the chocolate gives a little bit of heat without overpowering the flavour.

Barrister turned chef Nisha Katona will be cooking and demonstrating chilli and onion bhajis, light spiced Indian fritters, Hot Tanged Prawns, and Kerelan Chicken Curry.

West Dean is known for its Walled Kitchen Garden and 13 restored Victorian glasshouses where over 250 varieties of chilli are grown. Sarah Wain, West Dean’s gardening supervisor and chilli expert will be holding open gardening ‘surgeries’ every day with talks and demonstrations on how to grow chillies at home, together with Mike Michaud of Sea Spring Seeds.

Sarah has also developed her own chilli ice cream recipe.

Live music will add to the festival atmosphere, and acts including The Jive Aces, Lokito, Robin Jones & King Salsa, dancers Patrick Helm & Crystal Main and DJ Taz will take to the stage.

“We are hoping it is going to be the best year yet,” says Samantha. “This is the second year that we have had camping on-site, and it has been massively successful.”

West Dean Chilli Fiesta runs from August 8 to 10 at West Dean Gardens, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0QZ.

A day ticket is £12.00 for adults, £1.00 for children, except on Friday which is £9.50 for adults, £1.00 for children.

A day pass with camping is £45 for adults and £15.50 for children.

'Friends of West Dean' day pass with camping is £28.50 for adults, £14 for children.

A three-day pass with camping is £90 for adults, £31 for children.

'Friends of West Dean' three-day pass with camping is £57 for adults, £28 for children.

· Visit www.westdean.org.uk/chilli or call 01243 811301.