We have passed the entrance to the South Devon Chilli Farm several times on the way to Loddiswell, but despite the large Café signs we had never ventured in. We had made it the destination for today’s ride, and after riding out through South Brent and Wrangaton we arrived just after 12.00.

It turned out to be a little less impressive than we had expected – basically a modern, barn-type building divided seamlessly into a shop and a café. Michael is not really a fan of spicy foods, but he hadn’t expected the spice to extend to the coffee and cakes! There were only four cakes to choose from, all dark, but one contained chilli, another contained ginger and a third had had its gluten removed. That left only the apple cake, which turned out to be acceptable. Fortunately there was a regular latte on the menu with absolutely no added chilli or ginger, but Dillan tried the Chilli Mocha and thought it was .. interesting!

In the shop there was a very long display cabinet offering sample of around thirty different chilli sauces and jams in little dishes. Michael tried the first sample at the “mild” end and decided that was quite spicy enough for him, but Jude and Dillan were not so reticent and sampled the explosive products at the “hot” end without too many serious consequences. We finished with a sample of chilli chocolate – nice to start with but offering what some would describe as an unpleasant kick after a fifteen second delay.

Leaving the establishment at 1.15 we decided to return via a different route, as the main road from Wrangaton is really not especially inspiring. We rode a short distance towards Loddiswell and then took the path near Reveton that takes you down to the river Avon. We had stopped at this path last year when Tao wanted to drink his flask of coffee and Michael discovered a rip in his shorts, but today we were free to explore it all the way, reminding Michael of the fun we used to have in the Section many years ago. It was steep in places but was a real delight to ride.

After skimming a few stones in the river, we clambered up the path to the old viaduct, joining the railway path that we took last year from Loddiswell station. As previously, we followed this along the riverside to Topsham Bridge and then headed back to Moreleigh. Dillan somehow managed to fall off his bike on the approach to Diptford, grazing his knee in three places. While Michael was patching him up, two separate cars stopped to offer assistance, the second person really wanting to get out her expensive first aid kit. We were surprised and very grateful, but we had all we needed to sort him out.

The final lap home via Rattery was tiring in the dull, chilly air of the late afternoon, and when we got home at 4pm we were very grateful for hot showers and a long rest.