#SupportLocal - UAE’s Home-grown Hot sauce Emporium House of Habanero Opens First Store in Alserkal Avenue

Local brand House of Habanero, a one-stop shop for all things spicy, has opened its first physical location at Alserkal Avenue in Dubai.

The store, located in a container opposite 1004 Gourmet, carries what the team says is the UAE’s largest selection of hot sauces, chilli oils, spicy snacks and tongue-tingling condiments.

The space has been designed as a “tasting room”, allowing customers to sample everything in store, from super mild flavours to the extreme, including sauces made with the world’s hottest peppers, Pepper X and Carolina Reaper.

Chief Chilli Officer Faisal Al Mutairi, who runs the brand with his wife Katy Gillett, the company’s Chief Creative Officer, spent more than a year curating the range after sampling over 800 products.

He says opening a physical location has been a long-time goal.

“We’ve been dreaming about opening a shop in Alserkal Avenue for a long time and it’s finally happened. We couldn’t be more excited and can’t wait to welcome the community.”

The store opened to the public on Monday, March 9 and made its first sale within minutes of opening.

In the coming weeks, the team will host events where visitors can meet local sauce and chilli oil makers, as part of House of Habanero’s mission to help grow the UAE’s hot sauce scene.

“There are so many great locally made sauces and condiments that we want to shine a light on,” said Al Mutairi. “Where better to do that than Alserkal Avenue, which also champions home-grown businesses?”

The store also stocks products from 28 countries around the world, all made by small-batch producers who avoid preservatives and artificial additives.

“It’s important to us to offer clean products that are healthy and delicious,” Al Mutairi added. “We champion small businesses, and the majority of our range is actually mild, so everyone can enjoy it. Even people who tell us they don’t like hot sauce often walk away with something they love.”

House of Habanero first launched online in September 2024, delivering across the UAE and the GCC. Since November 2025, the husband-and-wife team have also been selling every weekend at Ripe Market.

Opening at Alserkal Avenue marks the next step in the growth of their fully self-funded business, which they hope will continue expanding alongside the UAE’s emerging chilli sauce scene.