SF-June-20

a number of community projects; “It’s not possible to live amongst the poorest and most marginalised people in the world and not help,” exclaims Robert. The Little Peppers Project is one such endeavour, by which Dr Trouble pays school fees for 150 disadvantaged children as well as supplying stationery and books. The team also runs and sponsors an anti-poaching team and wildlife conservation project, with zebras, giraffes and multiple species of antelope under protection. The current Covid-19 crisis has inspired more charitable efforts: a Covid isolation ward and maternity ward have been built at the local clinic, and funds are being raised to provide electricity. “Our situation is unique,” says Robert. “We are without doubt the producer most isolated from the beaten track in the world, and as far from the global markets as a producer can be. We live in a rural and timeless community and it’s impossible to live here without your community. In Africa there is a word called Ubuntu; it’s an idea or a philosophy which translates as “I am because we are” and so it is important to me personally, before my brand, to take part in the community.” Robert’s connection with the local community and landscape feeds the exclusivity of the Dr Trouble’s range. “I am a farmer and a conservationist,” he explains, “I have little interest in my product being mass-produced, and I am comfortable with the fact that it cannot be mass-produced without sacrificing the unique and time consuming way we make our sauce. My product is a result of 120 years of family history in Africa, and I am happy to share that history. What could be better than cooking in the savannah plains of Africa, surrounded by wild animals and hearing from people around the world who like what we do?” to Dr Trouble products. Using only pure fresh lemon juice, squeezed fromwild-grown lemons nurtured on tribal lands, chillies grown and hand-graded by the Dr Trouble team to Global Gap standards, plus spices and chunky salt from the Kgalagadi salt pans in neighbouring Botswana (which Robert describes as “earthy in a way that sea salt is lacking”), just 30 litres of sauce is produced per batch. No sugar, vinegar, colourants or emulsifiers are added. Due to the meticulous use of these ingredients and methods, only around 230,000 125ml bottles are produced each year – with the harsh climate meaning that adverse weather can affect production numbers dramatically. ‘The 18 year old single malt of chilli sauce’ Referred to by its fans as ‘the sauce of the safari’, it’s no wonder that Dr Trouble has become popular within the luxury market. As an exclusive product positioned at the very top end of the chilli sauce market, this is no supermarket Peri Peri or mass-produced Sriracha, but the ‘18 year old single malt of chilli sauce,’ according to regular customers. As opposed to a lot of chilli sauces which boast a blow-your-head-off heat, the Dr Trouble range aims to complement meals rather than overpower, with a lemon juice-based infusion of spices and chillies. “I believe that a great hot sauce should never burn the mouth or affect the palate,” explains Robert. Two variations are in the range: the evolved original recipe, Double Oak Smoked, for which chillies are smoked twice over oak chips, and Lemon Chilli, a slightly hotter option made using fire roasted chillies. The chillies used in the sauces are carefully chosen for a well-balanced finished product and include Cayenne, Red Demon, Seranade and African Birds Eye. “It’s important to me personally, before my brand, to take part in the community” The business not only sources from the community, it also runs T he renowned Dr Trouble sauces have an intriguing history at their heart. The great grandfather of the founder of the business, Robert Fletcher, was a Scottish surveyor who travelled to Zimbabwe in 1892 to create the first surveyed maps of Southern Zimbabwe. He kept a diary during his time on the continent, and the original recipe for the now-famous Dr Trouble sauce was found within its pages. The recipe for the sauce was evolved by five generations of the family, until five years ago, when Robert Fletcher was persuaded by his friends to produce the sauce on a larger scale. “When I decided to do this, I was determined to be faithful to the principles of keeping it completely natural,” explains Robert. “No artificial preservatives, no chemicals or colours. And faithful to the original recipe, which is a slow process.” A slow process indeed; each batch of organic and vegan-friendly sauce is slow-fermented in the African sun for between 60 to 100 days. It takes 100-120 days to produce each bottle. Honesty and transparency is key 15 MEET THE PRODUCER @specialityfood It’s a rare business that exhibits every one of the cornerstones of the ultimate fine food, but Dr Trouble – purveyor of ‘Africa’s finest chilli sauce’ – does just that What could be better than cooking in the savannah plains of Africa, surrounded by wild animals and hearing from people around the world who like what we do?