SOME people get a thrill from fast cars, for others it's money, but that thing that gives farmer Richard Alker a warm glow is a really hot chilli.

Speaking at his home and chilli farm in Windermere Drive, Adlington, Richard said: "I fed the Mayor of Wigan the hottest chilli in the world recently - he was still alive when I left!"

He spends most of his weekends travelling to food festivals across the North West cooking up huge pans of chilli dishes and selling his weird and wonderful creations, including chilli beer and chilli chocolate.

His chilli obsession began in the early 1990s when he worked in Manchester city centre and got into the habit of eating spicy foods from Indian, Bangladeshi and Thai restaurants for lunch.

"I wanted to make these dishes myself but at that time you couldn't buy chillies in supermarkets. You had to go to specialist restaurants in China Town," explained Richard.

"I thought I'll have a go at growing them myself'."

The first year Richard had one chilli plant in a pot on his windowsill. Over the next 10 years his collection grew steadily. This year he expects to harvest in the region of 10,000 chillies in 26 varieties grown in a greenhouse and a huge polytunnel in the back garden of his home.

"It's a hobby that's got completely out of hand!" laughed 37-year-old Richard.

"As far as I know I'm the only chilli farmer in the north. There's a few on the south coast but I can't compete with them and, anyway, that's not what this is about. For me it's about a love of the chillies. I could sit here all day and talk about them. I love fielding questions and finding out about them."

Richard's love of his chillies even goes as far as naming each and every plant.

"There's Spike and Lucky - he snapped when we moved him from the greenhouse to the polytunnel but he survived! I think it makes things more personal," he said.

So far the products he has turned his hand to include chilli cheese, chilli chocolate, chilli fudge, chilli ice cream, chilli jam and, his newest invention, chilli beer.

He also sells chilli pickles, chilli burger relishes, chilli cooking sauces, chilli soup, dried chillies and smoked chillies from his stalls at local food events and on his website www.littlegreenmen.co.uk Richard hopes to farm chillies full-time in the near future but he currently also works as a lecturer in economics and business at the University of Central Lancashire and also designs websites on a freelance basis.

Most of Richard's creations come about when he meets other local producers at the food fairs he takes his chilli stall to on most weekends, or when he does favours for people.

"My cheese, which I call Chorley Chilli Cheddar Cheese, comes from a farm in Garstang. I helped them get their online shop going and in return they make cheese for me. I'll turn up with chillies and they chuck them into the cheese for me."

Richard prefers to work with fellow Lancashire-based producers if possible or, if not, certainly those within the North West.

His latest venture - chilli beer - is made by Hopstar Brewery, based at the Black Horse Pub, Redearth Road, Darwen.