Gozo sits a 25-minute ferry north of Malta proper, with a food culture built off the inland citrus orchards that lift every plate and the sea-salt pans that crystallise sea salt along the island's northern coast. Ferment Island, an independent wet-fermentation hot sauce kitchen in Qala run by chef-turned-maker Joel Xerri, has taken four medals at the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 (heatawards.eu), Europe's flagship hot sauce competition: Gold in Hot Chili Sauce with Yellow Mellow, Gold in Chili Ketchup with Miso Habanero Ketchup, Bronze in Extra Hot Chili Sauce with Ghost Piri Piri, and Bronze in Salt & Condiments with Al Pastor Rub.
Ferment Island runs all its hot sauces as wet ferments, with local Gozitan sea salt from the island's salt pans, blended in small individual batches and bottled by hand. Joel Xerri came up through professional kitchens before starting the brand as a pandemic-era hobby that scaled into a full production kitchen. Local sourcing runs through the range where the island allows it: Gozitan citrus, tomatoes, local red chillies and green Serranos all turn up in the line. Two Golds and two Bronzes across four different EHSA categories, from a one-chef kitchen.
Nathan Austin on Ferment Island's range:
"Four podiums in four different categories from the same wet-fermentation kitchen tells you the technique is the through-line, not the recipe. Most EHSA entries commit to one category and one chili. Ferment Island spreads, running the same ferment build across Hot, Extra Hot, Chili Ketchup and Salt & Condiments, and the panel handed Gold to two of the four routes." – Nathan Austin, Tasting Editor, Republic of Heat
Yellow Mellow (Gold, Hot Chili Sauce): a yellow habanero hot sauce built on tamarind and black garlic, named after the Mello Yello soft drink, designed as a full-body flavour-led hot sauce without the sugary register that dominates the format.
Miso Habanero Ketchup (Gold, Chili Ketchup): a ferment-led chili ketchup built on miso and habanero, in the Chili Ketchup category that's grown around the European hot sauce scene as a barbecue and burger condiment for spicier eating.
Ghost Piri Piri (Bronze, Extra Hot Chili Sauce): a wet-fermented Extra Hot build on the ghost pepper paired with piri piri, the chef-led approach carried into the heat-extreme end of the range.
Al Pastor Rub (Bronze, Salt & Condiments): a dry rub built off the Mexican al pastor marinade tradition, the ferment-kitchen's only non-bottled placement, designed for grilled meat and roast vegetables.
"Honestly still speechless, never in a million years did I ever think that my small business would be awarded for anything. A small hobby which was built during COVID is now a full-on production, and I can't wait to share to the rest of the world what Ferment Island has to offer. Hard work pays off and we all deserve this. Thanks to everyone for the support." – Joel Xerri, Ferment Island
The European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 ran over 200 sauces from across the continent through blind tasting this year, scored on five criteria by a deliberately mixed panel of chefs, sommeliers, critics and chilli specialists. Two Golds in two different categories from one maker, plus two Bronzes in two more, is one of the broader-spread results in EHSA 2026.
"A chef-run kitchen on Gozo taking Gold in both Hot Chili Sauce and Chili Ketchup, plus Bronze in Extra Hot and Salt & Condiments, is range and technique on the same year. The European Hot Sauce Awards exists to surface exactly that kind of result, and we're watching closely for what Ferment Island brings next year." – Neil Numb, Founder, European Hot Sauce Awards
Yellow Mellow, Miso Habanero Ketchup, Ghost Piri Piri and Al Pastor Rub are available direct from Ferment Island in Qala, Gozo. Full EHSA 2026 results across all 16 categories: heatawards.eu/results/2026?utm_source=press_release&utm_medium=press&utm_campaign=ehsa2026&utm_content=ferment-island.
The European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 are announced ahead of the Berlin Chili Fest, 29–31 May 2026. Republic of Heat's EHSA 2026 Top 3 winner box is live at republicofheat.com/de-en/discovery-set/euhsa_top3, with further EHSA selection boxes at republicofheat.com/de-en/hot-sauce-sets.
PRESS RESOURCES Reveal videos on YouTube, embeddable: - Hot Chili Sauce: https://youtu.be/wJSbcurxAlk - Extra Hot Chili Sauce: https://youtu.be/WXVJ6Qcbjzw Press kit (photos, logos, AI lifestyle composites credited Republic of Heat / European Hot Sauce Awards 2026): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CjhpSuJy6rKhhuKe7NCbg34H6z4s2MY2?usp=drive_link
ABOUT FERMENT ISLAND Ferment Island is an independent wet-fermentation hot sauce kitchen in Qala, on the island of Gozo, founded and run by Joel Xerri, a chef by background. Every sauce is fermented with local Gozitan sea salt from the island's salt pans, blended and bottled in small individual batches by hand. The kitchen scaled out of a COVID-era hobby into a full production operation. Yellow Mellow, Miso Habanero Ketchup, Ghost Piri Piri and Al Pastor Rub are part of the range.
ABOUT THE EUROPEAN HOT SAUCE AWARDS The European Hot Sauce Awards (EHSA) is the professional competition for commercially produced hot sauces in Europe, run annually since 2024 from heatawards.eu. EHSA was born out of the Berlin Chili Festival, which has run since 2019 and returns 29–31 May 2026, and became an independent competition in 2024. Over 200 sauces from producers across the continent were entered in 2026. Entries are judged blind across five criteria: aroma, heat profile, flavour, creativity and finish. The 2026 edition covers 16 categories, with Gold, Silver and Bronze medals awarded across multiple positions in each. Each category also names a Best in Category, the top Gold. EHSA is run independently of any single producer or retailer.
ABOUT REPUBLIC OF HEAT Republic of Heat is a European hot sauce subscription designed to show off the flavours coming out of Europe and help solve the distribution problem independent makers face. Founded June 2025 in Berlin by Nathan "Naga" Austin and Simon "Scoville" Gardner. The Discovery subscription delivers three handpicked craft sauces plus a spicy extra to subscribers across the EU each month. Press partner of the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026. republicofheat.com.
PRESS CONTACT Press: Republic of Heat, on behalf of European Hot Sauce Awards contact@republicofheat.com +49 176 41601284
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