In the heart of Motueka the Hotel Motueka’s ‘Hot Pizza Challenge’ has become a fiery test of endurance for spice lovers.
The challenge, which has been running for three years, involves a 12-inch pizza topped with a custom-made sauce containing some of the hottest chillies on the planet: Ghost Chillies, Trinidad Scorpions, and Carolina Reapers.
“We take the extract from all those chillies and make a unique in-house sauce,” Vince Sibbald owner operator of Hotel Motueka and founder of the Hot Pizza Challenge explains.
For those brave enough to try, participants have 15 minutes to eat the pizza—8 slices of pure heat. If they vomit, they fail. The challenge is so intense that only 15 people have successfully completed it, from over 450 attempts.
Challengers pay $30 and must pass a health check, failure means the prize pot increases, adding extra excitement to the challenge. Currently, the prize pot is $1,000 thanks to local business Complete Flooring Nelson Bays and Tim Wilson Carpentry an online supporter from Western Australia.
The challenge is so popular that it’s attracted attention worldwide, with 35,000 online followers and some ‘challenges’ receiving over 1 million online views including views from countries like the UK, Ireland, Singapore, and Thailand.
Vince says it’s all about fun and testing limits.
“It’s amazing how many people support it, even food-eating champions like New Zealand’s chilli-eating champ Jessie Painter who upon completing it said it was the hardest challenges he’s ever done. We’ve also had heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker express interest in taking on the pizza challenge when he’s next in town.”
It’s a local event that’s grown into a global sensation—if you’re up for the challenge, the spiciest pizza challenge has become a must-try for thrill-seekers and chilli fans alike.
