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By Matt Robinson
Throughout the pandemic, many have been eschewing restaurants and trying their own hands at cooking. As results vary, many turn to condiments to make things right(er). Even so, many condiment creators are facing the same challenges other food-related businesses do and have had to really pour it on so that we can too. Well-Dressed Entrepreneurs While many food-makers start in their own kitchens, others leave large companies to create smaller ones. Citing a lack of innovation in the sauce space that was “in direct conflict” with changing demographics and desires - including demand for “clean” foods with minimal artificial ingredients - Holic Foods (www. HolicFoods.com) CEO, Tonio Torres, left a gig at JP Morgan Chase to chase dressing dreams. “Our goal is to influence the…condiment space in a way that inspires families…to seek new flavors,” Torres says. Despite his business experience, Torres knew little about the food business. Becoming a “student of industry,” he attended food events and asked questions. In addition to garnering certificates in better food process control and developing its own regulatory protocols, the femaleowned, minority-led company soon began getting requests for private-label offerings by major retailers. With distribution partnerships with KeHE, DPI, Jakes Finer Foods and UNFI, Holic products can be found at stores across the nation, including Kroger and Whole Foods.
After building a 35,000-square foot manufacturing facility, Holic expanded further by introducing its “Pantry Basix” value brand that gained distribution across 15,500 stores in its first quarter. “There are so many barriers to entry that prevent independent startups from finding success,” Torres maintains, “[but we] stayed positive and plugged on.“ Another sauce-y woman-run business is Bold Palate Foods (www.boldpalatefoods. com) whose founder, Kate Mann, started making salads at age nine. Though Mann’s “Salad Every Day” blog attracted international fans, many expressed concerns about the fats and preservatives in many dressings. One fan even suggested that, “once you put the dressing on…you might as well be eating a burger.” Determined to create dressings that make salads healthier and also help the environment, Mann began experimenting with plant-based ingredients and refused to add sugar. Like Torres, Mann also conducted research at industry events and hired a food scientist to assist with R&D. When she began offering demonstrations at places like Williams-Sonoma, Mann was often asked to bottle her creations. Like any good entrepreneur, Mann did as the market demanded and has benefitted. As is true of most entrepreneurs, however, Mann has faced challenges. In addition to having difficulty sourcing ingredients and having potential manufacturing partners suggest recipe changes, Mann officially moved to market just as COVID hit. “Talk about bad timing!” she muses.
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As the market recognized the quality of her products, however, she soon found herself being courted by stores. “Traditional retail has been a viable means of support,”Mann assures, “because they are looking for plant-based items…that give homemade food the gourmet restaurant flavor people are seeking.” Veteran Sauce Makers Another new food entrepreneur is Navy Veteran Abraham Kamarck of True Made Foods (www.truemadefoods.com) who cites necessity as the commanding officer of his invention. Tired of trying to stop his own kids from downing bottles of ketchup, a.k.a., “red sugar”, Kamarck echoed Mann and decided to make a version with healthsupporting vegetables and without sugars. “Parents are always trying to hide extra veggies in their kids’ foods and trying to cut added sugars out,” Kamarck observes. “I was hoping to give parents…a ketchup they could feel good about their kids using.” Though larger makers are now releasing veggie-based condiments, True Made was the first. Even so, as many brands command more shelf space and bigger budgets, the seas have been rough. “The industry is set-up to support big players,” Kamarck contends. By blitzing stores with demonstrations and tastings, Kamarck got the True Made line (which also includes veggie-based mustards and hot sauces) into Stop & Shop, Whole Foods, BigY, Hannaford’s, Shaw’s, Roche Bros., and even into Fenway Park. “The Red Sox really care about their
