Two 60+ Brisbane women are proving that age is no barrier to being a hot business woman.
Scarlett Habanero is the one woman behind multiple chilli festivals in SEQ and Sydney, is teaming up with former netball coach, Mel O’Brien, to overcome an ageist employment sector.
“I’ve conquered the netball coaching world, and I felt I was ready for a new challenge, so when I found out that nobody was growing chillies in SEQ, I got hot with excitement,” said Mel O’Brien, of Infusion Chilli Farm at Redland Bay.
“Organising festivals single-handedly is sheer hard work. When my usual chilli plant grower let me down, a friend googled and found Infusion – so it solved a world of pain for me,” said Habanero.
In an ageist employment sector where people are thrown on the scrapheap after 45, these women have found ways to stay relevant, engaged with the greater community and even make a few dollars.
“Since turning 48, finding the right job proved impossible, so I got into organising festivals. It’s a lot less profitable than growing wholesale chilllies, but we each have our skill sets and are ploughing ahead with what we do best,” said Habanero.
Infusion Chilli Farm is now the official festival supplier for all of Ms Habanero’s chilli festivals in SEQ including Briz Chilli and Beer Fest, scheduled for Sunday 27thh October at Ballistic Brewing Co, Salisbury.
Ms O’Brien grows around 15000 chilli plants at a time, with a constant stream needed to service her ever-increasing retail market customers.
“The demand for chillies has skyrocketed for some reason – people are just in love with these plants and, frankly, so am I,” she said.
“From a festival-goers’ perspective, they expect to see lots of chilli plants on the day, and get very caught up in the spirit of the festival and take their “babies” home and look forward to seeing them fruit,” she said.
Ms Habanero is excited to be working with another “older” woman in business with a great passion for her work, and an ability to deliver on promises!
The Brisbane Chilli and Beer Festival is on Sunday 27th October, 2024, at Ballistic Brewing Co, Salisbury from 12-7pm.Adult tickets $15
Concessions $10
Children 14 and under are FREE.