You said you have kitchen experience. You might be able to use that to your advantage. Maybe there is a local restaurant that would be a good fit with your stuff. If they're willing to sit down with you for a few minutes, you have a chance to build credibility and rapport and offer them some sample bottles. If they are interested in buying some for their tables and retailing it to customers, you can spend more time cooking and less time looking for buyers.
Caveat: I have absolutely no idea what sort of risk is assumed here. Just spitballing.
In reply to DarkMonohue :
That is how Huy Fong (Sriracha) got started. He was giving/selling it to restaurants and they were using his bottles on the tables.
Pete. (l33t FS) said:
That is how Huy Fong (Sriracha) got started. He was giving/selling it to restaurants and they were using his bottles on the tables.
Hey, no kidding? I remember being introduced to that stuff a couple decades ago and feeling like I'd been let in on an inside secret of the Asian community. Now it's so ubiquitous it's practically a staple.
When I was younger, my roommates started a small-scale chocolate sauce business.
In order to sell the product, they needed a commercial kitchen, and found a better deal on rental space by partnering with a couple other local small producers (hot sauce and chai, IIRC) and working odd hours in shifts. I think they met the other parties through farmers market networking, but the main takeaway is that renting in bulk and off hours brought costs down. If you are (or can be) either a night owl or an early bird, might be an angle for going legit while keeping overhead low.
JThw8
UltimaDork
4/13/22 9:10 a.m.
ae86andkp61 (Forum Supporter) said:
When I was younger, my roommates started a small-scale chocolate sauce business.
In order to sell the product, they needed a commercial kitchen, and found a better deal on rental space by partnering with a couple other local small producers (hot sauce and chai, IIRC) and working odd hours in shifts. I think they met the other parties through farmers market networking, but the main takeaway is that renting in bulk and off hours brought costs down. If you are (or can be) either a night owl or an early bird, might be an angle for going legit while keeping overhead low.
Also worth looking into your local community colleges. Ours has a small business incubator kitchen. For $150 a month you get 10 hours kitchen time, cold storage and dry storage. We actually just toured the kitchen for a venture my wife is going into and there are some sauce companies using it. They have some equipment there that would be very cost prohibitive for a small producer but which would let someone making sauces be able to increase batch size dramatically. And at least ours is really flexible. If you are there for 3 hours but 1 hour is used for cleanup you are only charged working time (2 hours) clean up time doesnt come out of your alotted time.
Craft fairs with samples! Doing one this weekend for my wife's candles, looking to make thousands. I've never went to a craft fair where I didnt end up buying hot sauce lol.
How much does it cost you to make per oz and charge at least 3x that.
yupididit said:
Craft fairs with samples! Doing one this weekend for my wife's candles, looking to make thousands. I've never went to a craft fair where I didnt end up buying hot sauce lol.
How much does it cost you to make per oz and charge at least 3x that.
My wife and I also buy almost all of our hot sauces at craft fairs. The currents favorites are from Hab Sauces, and they ask $10 for a 5 oz. bottle.
Forgot to mention that sofrito three-pepper sounds delicious.
Sell it in a canoe?!?!?! berkeleying brilliant!
In reply to preach (dudeist priest) :
I would not want to sell a hot sauce that is "close to water" 
I've stepped up my game for the next sauce:
Nice! We are hot sauce junkies as well. I think we currently have 25 or so different ones in the fridge.
As I may have mentioned I pretty much just give these away to people I know. Some folk will give me a couple dozen fresh eggs or a quart of pickled eggs, or whatever as a trade. I have been given a 10 spot for a bottle as well. But with this last batch a lot of people are asking me "How much?". Might be time now that I got everyone addicted. "First one's free, yo."
Next up is a request from my wife. She wants a Garlic/Thai sauce with the better part on garlic.
I'm her huckleberry.
In reply to preach (dudeist priest) :
Your wife is smart.
preach (dudeist priest) said:
I've stepped up my game for the next sauce:
As much as the current focus on branding irritates me, it's probably going to be pretty important to you pretty soon. Your label, logo, etc., might benefit from some more color and contrast to make it visually pop. Probably a boldface font, too. If people are squinting to read the label, you're losing an opportunity to make an impression.
For whatever my opinion is worth - probably no more than you're paying for it - I don't think the dirty innuendo is helping you. Crass masquerading as cute is still just crass. If you work clean you'll probably find a broader audience.
I suddenly want to start going to craft fairs. Farmer's markets and surprisingly maker spaces are my go tos for hot sauce.
Dusterbd13-michael said:
A good friend of mine is a hot sauce Junkie. I personally can't stand the stuff. How do I buy some from you to send to him?
^ What he said... although I am intrigued by the garlic Thai sauce.
Where are you in NH/ME? I'm currently working in Portsmouth.
Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:
Dusterbd13-michael said:
A good friend of mine is a hot sauce Junkie. I personally can't stand the stuff. How do I buy some from you to send to him?
^ What he said... although I am intrigued by the garlic Thai sauce.
Where are you in NH/ME? I'm currently working in Portsmouth.
I work in the shipyard you can see just across the river. Let me bottle this batch and I will get you one.
(NH phone) three fore tree 63 for sicks. Cannot have that number at work until I get back to my VW. Text me.
My brother in law makes hot sauce (and maple syrup, different seasons). He did well giving samples to local restaurants that then agreed to put his his product on the tables and sell it in their stores.
In reply to preach (dudeist priest) :
Six oh three? I live in the land of area codes...
That's it. We Live Free or Die in the same code.
stroker
PowerDork
3/24/23 11:57 a.m.
How did I miss this thread originally??? Preach, we need threads on how you do this OR contact information to place orders!
In reply to stroker :
I am still trying to figure it out to perfection. My tequila one kind of failed as it was too loose, but damn it makes a fantastic salad dressing.
Basically, it's a choice of vinegar (pickles the sauce), peppers, spices, fruit (maybe), whatever else I feel like. Simmer it, plunge blend it, let it sit in the fridge for a few days, simmer it, strain it, bottle it.
One day I will price out a batch per bottle.
