Our Story

From a passion for chillies to the island's first artisanal brand.

In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, the connection to chillies found the time, focus, and space to grow. The passion had been long-standing: cultivation, chillies, intense aromas, and the way spiciness transforms food.

On the island of Madeira, Hugo Abreu, founder and producer of ESTEPILHA, started at home, amidst plants, tests, study, and much persistence. What seemed like mere curiosity became a clear idea: to create artisanal hot sauces with their own identity, made with ingredients from the island and, whenever possible, with chillies grown in Madeira.

The idea was simple but ambitious: to connect spiciness to the land and transform it into an experience, not just a burning sensation. To take advantage of Madeira's climate, fertile soils, and diverse regional ingredients to create sauces with aroma, balance, intensity, and identity.

“It was never just about heat. It was always about transforming spiciness into an experience.”

Before the current growth of artisanal sauces, this type of artisanal production did not yet exist in Madeira. It was in this context that ESTEPILHA pioneered as the first brand of artisanal hot sauces on the island of Madeira.

The first sauces began to reach the public in 2022. In 2023, ESTEPILHA was officially registered and launched as a brand, already with more consolidated recipes and a clear vision.

Since then, we have maintained the same essence: small-batch production, attention to detail, a connection to cultivation, and respect for the time needed to create sauces with character.

We are Madeirans to the core. We create on the island, with the ambition of taking the flavour, irreverence, and spiciness of Madeira further.

The name

ESTEPILHA
es·te·pi·lha
Madeiran regionalism
feminine and masculine noun · popular exclamation

1. A mischievous, daring, or irreverent person.
2. Something intense, vibrant, and hard to ignore.
3. A word said with surprise, humour, or provocation.

We chose this name because it translates the brand's spirit: Madeiran, authentic, provocative, and full of character.

“It's truly estepilha.”

A name that is not just explained. It is tasted.

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The slogan

Authentically spicy summarises what we seek in every ESTEPILHA sauce: spiciness with origin, flavour, and character.

It's not just heat. It's intensity with balance, Madeiran identity, and respect for the time needed to create a memorable sauce.