The Chill Dill is a line of local pickles made in Tampa, FL. James Dauenheimer is one-part owner of The Chill Dill. We had an interview with him to find out just what the “dill” is with The Chill Dill pickles.
How did The Chill Dill start?
The Chill Dill started when three mutual long-time friends were out eating lunch one day. We decided that there is a need for a better pickle. That was around 2013, and we officially opened the company in 2014.
What is The Chill Dill difference?
The Chill Dill, yes, it’s a pickle, yes, it’s a product, but it’s also kind of an experience, because you get the whole vibe. The one thing that makes our pickles different is that they are actually cold-packed. As soon as they are made they are brought right back to the walk-in refrigerator, where they are chilled from day one all the way until they reach your fridge.
They are extra crispy and crunchy. Seeing as they are a fresh and new pickle, you’re going to get a little bit of that cucumber flavor that you don’t really get with a real briney pickle. You’re also going to have the really fresh crunch. Some of these things they leave our kitchen in about two days and they are on the shelf the next day.
We also load them with a lot of flavor. If you look at the bottom of the jar, they are going to have all of the seasonings, and the garlic. That’s one thing since it’s a shorter pickling process, we want to hammer you out with some flavor!
We do like heat over here, so our Seriously Spicy are pretty seriously spicy, our honey habanero carrots, they’ve got a kick. When you can find them, the Ghost Pepper Garlic are really good! They’ll numb up your mouth real quick.
Do you have a favorite product?
Probably my favorite pickle is the Gnarly Garlic because it is like a tingling amount of garlic. I love the Ghost Pepper Garlic, but they are very hot, and I only use them a couple times a year.
The Kickin’ Carrots are the one thing you’ll find in my fridge every single day. You can cook with them, you can snack on them right out of the jar. I even like to cut them up and put them on salads. It’s not quite a “pickle” pickle, but it’s one of my favorites and a lot of times people don’t give it a try. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s a carrot, but it is an interesting product to try with the sweetness, the heat and the honey in there.
The Passion for Pickles
The thing about us is that we are a small company, we’re three friends that started it, we have a family. My employees have been working for me for a long time. They do a good job, and I’m not always here. All the quality control comes from them. So, we want to treat our customers, and everyone else that buys the product, we want to feel the love and we get the love back on Instagram and Facebook. And that’s one thing we want to share is that we’ve made our passion, with you guys. You taste it, you feel the passion, and it goes in a circle.
Get Your Chill Dills
Find The Chill Dill products at both Rollin’ Oats St. Pete and Rollin’ Oats Tampa. You can also order their pickles online with your Rollin’ Oats groceries for curbside pickup. The St. Pete location now carries the full line, and Rollin’ Oats Tampa carries the top favorites, like Totally Original “OG” and Gnarly Garlic. The Ghost Pepper Garlic is a seasonal item, available to for a limited time period due to the exceptionally hot, and out of the ordinary, ghost pepper. Learn all about the product line on The Chill Dill website.