Voters will have the chance to put prospective MHK candidates under the spotlight in an unusual way this weekend, with three candidates taking part in a ‘Hot Wings Hustings’.

The event will form part of the third Fire Island Chilli & BBQ Festival, taking place at Onchan Park on Saturday, September 12, from midday until 7pm.

The festival is organised by Fire Island Chillies, the island’s first commercial chilli farm, based at Red Mie Farm in Ballaugh.

Katryna Baptist, standing in Glenfaba and Peel, Alfred Cannan, the current Chief Minister standing in Ayre and Michael and Andy Saunders, standing in Douglas East, have agreed to take part in the special hustings, which promises to combine political questioning with increasingly fiery wings.

Andy Saunders, Katryna Baptist and Alfred Cannan will take part in the first 'Hot Wings Hustings'
Andy Saunders, Katryna Baptist and Alfred Cannan will take part in the first 'Hot Wings Hustings' (-)

Organisers have invited members of the public to come along and see the prospective MHKs ‘questioned like they’ve never been before’, jokingly asking: ‘Will we make any of them cry?’

The festival itself is billed as the island’s only independent and free-to-enter food festival and will feature street food, BBQ demonstrations, fire cooking and local chefs sharing their cooking secrets.

Visitors will also be able to browse stalls selling products ranging from hot sauce to chilli brownies, while the EVF Manx Chilli Eating Challenge and Flurt With Danger Hot Wings Challenge will return to the ELS Main Stage.

Live music will also feature throughout the day, with activities including bushcraft and wild games planned for children.

Fire Island Chillies was established in 2021 and forms part of Red Mie Farm. The business grows a wide range of chillies commercially to organic principles, with varieties selected from cuisines around the world.

It also produces a range of award-winning, small-batch hot sauces and condiments which are sold across the island.

The festival will combine food, fire and politics as voters get a chance to put three candidates through a rather different kind of grilling ahead of the election.

Organisers said they were grateful to Baptist, Cannan and Saunders for supporting the event.