A laboratory which works with venomous arachnids has launched its own spider chilli sauce.

Staff at the Venomtech lab in Sandwich usually study venom samples to help in the use of medication, but have now started making a vegan chilli sauce with a difference.

Steve's Scientific Sauce is the first product of the brand, and it is a chilli sauce which acts like the venom of a Trinidad chevron spider.

Watch lab scientist talk about how it was made

Steven Trim from the laboratory said: "I was presenting about how venoms are useful in drug discovery and one of the stories I use is that chilli, the feeling of heat, is actually a feeling of pain.

"It's the plants defence to try and stop mammals stealing the seeds and so that pain signal I thought people will be very familiar with.

"Then I brought into the story that spiders such as Trinidad chevron they actually mimic the actions of chilli in their venom.

"So we get real excitement and interest about the product and wow, I didn't realise venom acted that way and then when people try the sauce we get two lots of feedback.

"People who really like chillies often think oh it could be hotter but its really warm and got good depth of flavour to it where as people who are not familiar with chillies usually go wow that's hot.

"So we think we have got it about right."

When it was launched at Halloween last year and all of the 48 bottles made sold in just three hours so the company is thinking of expanding the operation.

Mr Trim added: "We've got a few great plans, the first of which came from one of the ideas that we had early on as when you are mixing the chilli sauce with mayonnaise you can make a really nice dipping sauce and that has been called Venomaise and that's a product we will be launching later this year.

"We had trials last week for the first time of a venom chilli-cheese bread so hopefully that will not be to far away as well.

"And we are looking at follow-on products and the whole branding scheme based around it.

"We may even one day bring about a platinum edition that actually is the real venom."

The chilli sauce goes really well with Mexican food like quesadillas and it's ideal for curries as it can be used as a substitute for the spice.

Mr Trim and his wife also tried it with pancakes and tried a bacon and chilli concoction in them.