CHUCK HUGHES: Spicy Antipasto – 375ml

The antipasto with a temper

Chuck Hughes Spicy Antipasto is a chunky mixed-vegetable antipasto led by hot peppers, packed in oil and vinegar in Quebec for Montreal chef Chuck Hughes — made for grilled bread, sausages and pizza. Same Montreal pedigree, same grazing-board instinct — Chuck Hughes just swapped the sweet peppers for hot ones and let the jar have an attitude. This is the version for people who think a cheese board should fight back a little. Still a proper mixed-vegetable antipasto in oil and vinegar, just built with hot peppers running through the middle of it.

The flavour

Same tangy oil-and-vinegar base as the rest of the range, but the hot peppers, pickle and green tomatoes push real chilli warmth through the eggplant, cauliflower and celery. Garlic and spice sit underneath, olives and capers add salt and brine, and the finish carries genuine heat rather than a token tingle.

How to cook with it

• Spoon over fried eggs when you want breakfast to wake you up properly
• Finish a pizza with it in the last few minutes for a chilli-vegetable hit
• Serve alongside grilled fish or steak as an instant sauce
• Pile onto a burger for the vegetable crunch and the chilli kick together
• Rogue move: stir a spoonful through hummus for an antipasto twist

In the jar

A chunky, rustic mix of hot peppers, eggplant, cauliflower and pickle suspended in a light oil and vinegar dressing — visibly redder and more textured than the mild version, thanks to the hot peppers running through it.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients: Mixed vegetables (hot peppers, eggplants, cauliflower, carrots, celery, fennel, olives, pickle, onions, capers, green tomatoes), Canola oil, Spices, Dehydrated minced garlic, Salt, Vinegar, Sulphites, Calcium chloride.

Dietary: Vegan, gluten free and kosher (COR certified). Contains sulphites. May contain olive pit fragments. Always check the physical label for the most accurate ingredient and allergen information.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

This is the antipasto with a bit of mongrel in it: hot peppers, green tomato and olive, all sitting in a sharp oil-and-vinegar dressing. Put it on a pizza in the kettle. Season the base with Cattleman's Grill Italiano, scatter this over in the last few minutes, then finish with a thin drizzle of Blend Smoked Honey. Sweet heat on a crisp base. That one's going straight in the logbook.

Questions answered

How hot is the Spicy Antipasto?

Genuinely spicy — hot peppers are the lead ingredient, not an afterthought, so expect real chilli warmth rather than a mild tingle. It sits at 4 on our Sting Gauge — spicy, not scorching.

What's it good with?

Cheese and grazing boards, burgers, pizza, grilled fish and steak, or straight over eggs.

What allergens does it contain?

Contains sulphites and may contain olive pit fragments. It's vegan, kosher and gluten free. Always check the physical label for the latest.