Some like it hot

YOU wouldn’t think that they could thrive as far as Northumberland, but chillies love our colder climate, as successful chilli grower Dan May can attest.

His company, Trees Can’t Dance, is the most northerly chilli farm in the world. It was founded in 2005 after Dan picked up a burning desire for the feisty peppers while working as a travel photographer.

“When I first arrived back in the UK, I could never get the correct chillies needed to recreate some of the favourite dishes from my travels,” he says. “As someone who eats chillies with most meals, I soon decided enough was enough and set about starting up my own chilli farm.”

Despite having no horticultural background at all, and although the North Pennines aren’t the typical location for growing chillies, Dan was amazed at how well the crops took to the area.

Now, four years later, he grows more than 70 varieties of chilli from the four corners of the world, on a site 600 metres above sea level and 300 miles north of Moscow.

“We use the correct chillies that are native to the country where the recipes for our sauces originated, which means they’re really authentic.

We have even been asked to export our products to South America – talk about selling oil to the Arabs.”

Developed on the farm, all the Trees Can’t Dance sauces are thickened by reduction, giving them their intense flavours, and are made using only natural ingredients and without artificial additives.

Dan and his team maintain an ethical approach to all aspects of production from seed right through to the finished product and they’re currently under organic conversion with the Soil Association.

■ Available in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Booths or on treescantdance.co.uk

Bags of appeal

WE all know that tea bags are the best invention since sliced bread. They’re small, you don’t need a strainer to catch the bits and they’re easily disposable.

Why hasn’t anyone ever come up with bags for coffee?

Well, they have. Just put one of the new Lyons coffee bags in a mug, pour water over it and hey presto, a steaming hot cup of fresh coffee.

They’re available in two flavours and one decaffeinated and contain at least 30 per cent of Rainforest Alliance certified coffee beans. Great for camping, festivals and outdoor concerts.

■ £1.99 for a pack of 18

BBQ bargains

LEWIS & Cooper is holding eight days of barbecue-themed offers, tastings and contests, from Saturday, May 23, at both of its stores, in Northallerton High Street and Yarm High Street.

Three of the company’s famous luxurious hampers, together worth more than £260, will be up for grabs in a free competition. Among barbecue favourites on special offer are sauces, salad dressings and packs of premium British meats, sausages and burgers together with marshmallows for toasting on the embers and Fentimans old-fashioned soft drinks.

The tea room at the Northallerton store will also be offering barbecuethemed specials.

How to avoid overdraft charges

IF a friend asked to borrow a fiver, you would – if you had it – hand it over quite cheerfully, confident that you would get it back. But if that same friend just sneaked into your pocket and took the fiver without asking, then you wouldn’t be too chuffed, would you? Even if it was only for a day or so.

It’s the same with the banks. The difference is that they’re not your friends and that they have a lot more power to get a lot nastier about it.

Because we can all occasionally spend more than we actually have, many current accounts offer you an overdraft facility. It will be up to an agreed amount – maybe £100, maybe £1,000 or more. It’s the equivalent of a short-term loan, no questions asked because you asked nicely.

This means you can spend up to that limit without getting into deep trouble. The bank might charge you for the privilege, and charge you interest on the money you borrow. But the charges will be relatively modest for such a useful safety net.

But if you go over that limit, or if you go overdrawn when your bank hasn’t said you can, then prepare yourself for a shock. That’s the equivalent of taking their money without asking – and they don’t like it. It doesn’t matter if it’s only a few pounds for a day or so. It’s their money. You took it. You didn’t ask.

The result can be huge charges.

They can charge you for the unauthorised overdraft. They can charge you interest. They can charge you for turning down a Direct Debit payment.

They can charge you for bouncing a cheque. They can charge you for writing to you to tell you what they’ve done.

Then all those charges add up and earn more charges, more interest.

It’s a wonderful money-spinner for them.

Banks have been making up to £2.5bn a year from charges on unauthorised overdrafts. These charges have been challenged. Some of the charges have now been reduced and even refunded. But a review is still going through the system and it will be a few months at the earliest before we hear the outcome.

In the meantime, here’s what to do to avoid getting into a huge money mess.

■ If you think you might need an overdraft, ask the bank and arrange one.

■ Keep within those limits. Even a few pounds over can cost you dear.

■ Direct Debits are great – as long as you remember when they are.

■ When setting them up, always arrange a date a few days after payday – so you have a safety buffer if your pay goes in late or the payment is taken out early.

■ Check, check and check again – especially if you have annual or irregular payments which are easy to forget about. Checking your account online, on the phone or at an ATM takes only a moment. Do it regularly so there are no nasty surprises.

Remember, it’s the charges you pay that contribute towards those huge bonuses for the fat cat bankers.

Do you really want to keep them in luxury?

Post Office reveals its modern new look

DARLINGTON Post Office has been refurbished to provide a new, improved customer service area.

The new-look branch, on Crown Street, now has a lighter, brighter, more modern interior and provides a wide range of benefits to customers. These include a new, touch-screen queuing system to help people move through the branch more easily, and dedicated areas for people wishing to find out more about the Post Office’s range of financial services, such as credit cards, instant access savings accounts and home insurance products.

Darlington Post Office now also has an automated Post and Go terminal which allows customers to weigh their letters and packets, pay for and print postage labels and post their items without the need to visit a counter.

“Whether customers are visiting our branch to withdraw cash, pay their bills or find out more about our financial or travel services, I’m sure they will be delighted by the improved environment,” says branch manager Jeanette Jackson.

“In addition to the changes to the branch itself, we also have financial services specialists working to help people find out more about our wide range of great value products in the privacy of a new financial services area.”

Issued by Post Office Press Office, North of England. Tel: 0161-869-7224. postoffice.co.uk