If you enjoy sizzling your taste buds with hot sauce, you’ll be happy to know that Mat’s Hot Shop has finally opened a brick-and-mortar store in Collingwood. Mat’s vast array of hot sauces have collected a cult-following since launching online in 2019. And now, you’ll be able to browse all things hot in one easy place. Discover weird, wonderful, and of course, spicy flavours from all over the world. All of these sauces are available for sampling, making Mat’s Hot Shop the first hot sauce tasting room in the country. Try niche flavours from small-batch creators and then satisfy your curiosity by tasting sauces that feature on the famous YouTube show, Hot Ones. Are you ready to feel the heat?
Mat’s Hot Shop
Hot sauce aficionados will love stepping into Mat’s Hot Shop. With 100 to 150 sauces from around the world at any given time, you’ll be able to explore all levels of heat, from mild flavours to ones that will blow your head off. Most of the sauces are from the U.S, however, they also carry sauces from Mexico, Canada, Fiji, China and New Zealand.
“More recently, we’ve also been investing a lot more time and energy into supporting the industry here in Australia as it begins to take off,” said Mat. “We’ve tripled the number of Australian products we now stock and currently work with over 30 local makers – with more and more reaching out every day.”
Mat’s Hot Shop already has a dedicated online following, but having a physical store will take things to the next level. Inside the tasting room, you’ll be able to take risks, discover bold new flavours and figure out which sauce you should take home.
“Part of what I wanted to achieve with Mat’s Hot Shop is educating people about flavour, heat profiles and the versatility of hot sauce,” said Mat.
Mat is also a proud hot sauce producer. This year, his Peachango Tango sauce won numerous awards, including first place in the fruit-based category at the New York City Hot Sauce Expo. A tribute to his upbringing in regional Victoria, Peachango Tango is a blend of peaches, mango, spices and fiery habanero peppers.
Visit the shop at 204A Wellington St, Collingwood VIC 3066 to browse the full range of sauces. They’re open from Tuesday to Saturday, between 12pm and 6pm.