It's so popular even the Sultan of Brunei has given it a try — now Bermuda's newest award-winning home-made jam is preparing to take the world by storm.

Gombey Hot Pepper Jam started off in the most humble of fashion when teacher and part-time jam-maker Grant Kennedy rolled into a bar holding a murky little jar just under three years ago.

The contents of the pot — a sweet and spicy pepper jam — proved such a hit with his pals that Mr. Kennedy and his close friend Joel McDonell decided to make a batch of the stuff and sell it at the Island's City Market.

Since then Mr. Kennedy and Mr. McDonell's Gombey Hot Pepper Jam has developed into a thriving part-time business, with pots of six different flavoured jams now stacked on the shelves of around 20 stores across the Island.

Social Rehabilitation Minister Dale Butler even presented a jar of it to the Sultan of Brunei as an example of good home produce from Bermuda, while American TV chef Bobby Flay is said to be partial to its eye-watering flavours.

The fairytale hit a new height when the jam fought off competition from across the world to win a coveted prize at the prestigious 2007 Scovie Awards, which recognises the finest fiery foods on the planet.

Now the pair are planning to introduce their jam to an international audience.

They have already attracted interest from America, Canada and the UK, and hope to finalise contract details abroad within the next few months.

It's not been an easy road for the pair, however. They have both retained their day jobs and continue to cook, bottle and label 120 jars of jam a week in their spare time in a room behind Wesley Methodist Church, Hamilton.

Mr. Kennedy, 31, from Warwick, a teacher at CedarBridge Academy, said: "It all started with a murky jar of jam I showed up with one day in a bar in South Shore. Everyone that tried it said it was fantastic, magical stuff.

"So Joel and I spotted there was a niche in the market for something sweet and spicy.

"Bermudians love sweet things, Islanders love hot things, so we thought it would take off if we blended them both.

"We took it to the City Market and it went really well. After that, our reputation steadily built up.

"People found it very addictive so word of mouth spread really quickly. People were saying they had eaten the stuff all afternoon."

Within weeks, an impressed Mr. Butler had shown it off to the Sultan of Brunei.

What the Sultan made of it is unclear, but Mr. Kennedy joked: "I think he liked it so much he wanted to trade some heroin for it."

From there, the jam's reputation steadily grew.

"We built up a reputation," said Mr. Kennedy. "People would buy our jam as appetisers and give it to their friends at parties.

"They all found it very addictive so word of mouth spread really quickly. People were saying they have eaten the stuff all afternoon."

The pair's jams are usually eaten with cheese and crackers but can also go with other dishes such as fish.

They have been named according to their strength, from the relatively tame Eye of the Storm, to Hurricane Force, which is strictly not for the faint-hearted.

Storm Surge, the third hottest of the bunch, came second in the Scovie Awards, which were set up by Dave DeWitt, editor of Fiery Foods and BBQ magazine.

Mr. Kennedy said finding out was a proud moment. He said: "It was unbelievable. It's the Nobel Prize of our industry. It's what you need to win to go forward.

"It's great when somebody comes up to you and says the jam is great, but when a food body says you have got the best hot pepper award on the planet — that's sharp.

"When I found out, I was on the cellphone in my car. I almost wrote the car off. Perhaps that shows why you shouldn't use the cellphone in the car."

Mr. McDonell, also 31, from Southampton, is a technical co-ordinator at Ruth Seaton James theatre in Cedarbridge.

He said the work was sometimes tough and occasionally painful.

"We put in a lot of hours," he said. "Sometimes we have to double up with the gloves and eye protection for some of the peppers!

"If you get the stuff in your eye it hurts for like ten seconds, but now we are getting immune it's happened that often.

"One day we decided to push the limit and find out how much we could make in one go.

"We made 80 gallons from scratch, using 300 pounds of peppers.

"We started in the morning and we were still there at 5 a.m. the next day.

"You know you have had a long day when you wave to Johnny Barnes as you are leave Hamilton at the end of a shift!

"It all comes down to friendship. I couldn't stand here and do all this if we didn't have a lot of fun. We get on really well and keep each other going."

The next step is cutting through red tape with foreign governments so that they can start selling their jam overseas.

Mr. Kennedy said: "We are hoping to look at distributing to the UK, Canada and USA within the next six months.

"UK visitors have gone home and taken the jam with them so it's starting to get around already. Who knows where it might end?"