Our Story

At The Hatch Chile Store we have a tradition of excellence. Our extended family currently farm over 1000 acres of prime farmland in the Hatch valley, and have been in the produce business for more than 100 years. Our history here in the Hatch Valley dates back over 5 generations to Joseph Franzoy, the first farmer to grow chile here. Headquartered in Hatch, New Mexico, our history and heritage ensure that when you buy our hatch green chile, you’re getting the very best you can find, straight from a family farm.

Berridge Farms, our grandparent’s company, has also served the Santa Fe market for more than 15 years selling tens of thousands of pounds of fresh hatch green chile each year at the intersection of Cerrillos & Baca in downtown Santa Fe. The Berridge family retails in Santa Fe from mid August to late September each year. Most weekends, you’ll find two or even three generations of the Berridge clan helping to roast and sell our famous product.

Hatch green chile, grown only here in the Valley around Hatch, New Mexico, is famous for its great flavor and has been featured in countless publications from magazines such as Sunset or Country America all the way to international features on BBC. Quite often, you’ll find chile sold as “Hatch” in grocery stores that isn’t actually from here in the Valley. This is a shame as, once you’ve had the real thing, you’ll never go back! When you want that authentic flavor that’s made our chile famous, it’s got to come from here in the Hatch Valley.
Our family grows 4 varieties of hatch chile on the farm:

Mild, (1904) ranges in size from 6-9 inches, and has a very mild flavor with little to no heat. This would be a good starting point for someone wanting to try our product who doesn’t particularly like spicy foods. It is meaty and a good choice for very mild rellenos and enchilada sauces.

Medium (Big Jim) is a variety co-developed in our valley. It is a large meaty variety ranging in size from 7-10 inches in length. Big Jim varies in heat from one pod to the next, so it is a favorite in our family to chop and use for medium heat enchiladas. It is also great for rellenos, if you don’t mind the range in heat. We once had a relleno that held a half pound of hamburger!

Hot, (Sandia) is a smaller variety which will range from 5-8 inches. This is a variety that is a favorite among those who love very spicy foods. It can be used for enchiladas, rellenos, and most fiery dishes. It is known for it’s consistent heat, and makes great enchilada sauce.

Extra-Hot, (Lumbre) is our smallest variety, but it packs quite a punch in the heat department. Barker is for those who love the burn of the hottest chile. It makes great salsa and can be added in small quantities to give a blast of heat to anything. Lumbre really is X-Hot, so if you aren’t a spicy food aficionado you may want to try our Sandia first.

The other varieties we offer (including the heritage varieties) come from other farmers in the area just as devoted to preservation of the hatch name as we are.

Our produce is the freshest you will find anywhere, we guarantee it. We start picking bright and early on Tuesdays and ship everything out the same day. Chile quickly loses quality if it isn’t refrigerated, so our pick-n-ship policy ensures that you’re chile will arrive as fresh and crisp as humanly possible. Don’t be fooled by “Hatch Chile” in many large chain grocery stores, even if you are in New Mexico. Rarely does this come from here in the Hatch Valley. Despite the fact that vendors will often assure their customers that what they are selling is genuine, much of the time it is grown in Mexico and shipped to the US. At The Hatch Chile Store, we believe that the term “Hatch Chile” should only be used by farmers located right here in the Hatch Valley along the Rio Grande.

If you have any questions for us, please feel free to send an email to admin@hatch-green-chile.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.