THE NEW HOTNESS
Ring Stinger Pepper Co. blends fire and flavor into the island’s newest taste sensation. BY BARRY KAUFMAN
•
The metaphorical seeds of the Ring Stinger Pepper Company were planted one New Year’s Eve a few years ago, when founder Chris Roach found himself at an impasse. A long-time employee of Michael Anthony’s, he was staring down another New Year’s Eve spent running the F&B gauntlet. “That’s the one day of the year that’s insane in the restaurant business. The money’s great, but you’re on your feet for 12 hours straight at a minimum,” he said. Having survived an accident 12 years prior that left him physically unable to work in the kitchen, he’d transitioned to front of house. On that New Year’s Eve, the toll from his injuries and the 28
TASTEOFHILTONHEAD.COM
PHOTOS BY ROB KAUFMAN
stress of food and beverage life came to a boil. “I couldn’t get out of my car. I just couldn’t muster the energy… I had one of those really big moments where I asked myself, ‘How long can you continue to do this?’” The metaphorical seeds were planted. The literal seeds, meanwhile, were already bearing fruit at a tiny plot Roach maintained at the co-op farm inside Port Royal Plantation. “I had so many peppers I couldn’t get rid of them,” he said. What he couldn’t give away, he turned into hot sauces bursting with flavors of onions, garlic, tomatoes, and a global array of exotic spices. “My friends had been telling me, ‘You know, you