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Food Brands
Food Brands Wednesday
14Nov
Palmetto Pepper Potions - Let's Sizzle!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 08:04AM Foodpreneur:
Mark & Julie Riffle
About the Foodpreneur:
We believe that life is too short to eat bland meals, so we created ways to "make every day sizzle"!
About the Palmetto Pepper Potions Biz:
Palmetto Pepper Potions Palmetto Pepper Potions began in the South Carolina kitchen of Mark and Julie Riffle after a friend had gifted them with a surplus of chili pepper plants. The peppers were eagerly planted all over the yard, along the driveway and among the wildflowers. When the peppers ripened, they experimented with herbs, seasonal fruits and fresh vegetables to create a rainbow of vibrant, fresh-tasting sauces. Friends, family, favorite musicians and a surprising number of strangers clamored for more. In just three years, Palmetto Pepper Potions has earned 11 international awards in the world's top fiery foods competitions, the Scovie Awards and the Golden Chile Awards. Each flavor has been handcrafted to the music of a favorite band or musician from the southeast. Palmetto Pepper Potions hot sauces are inspired by the beauty, hospitality and heat of South Carolina. They recommend trying Daily Red, Larynx Lava, Molten Golden and Trenholm Venom immediately!
Founded:
Fall 2004 - Molten Golden was the first sauce released.
Current Clients:
Whole Foods Market, select Fresh Market stores, the Inn at Palmetto Bluff and specialty stores and gift shops. The hot sauces are internationally sold in Canada and Costa Rica as well.
Marketing Strategies:
We were discovered by an editor for Southern Living when our company had been in business less than six months. That was an exciting boost! We have worked hard to create sauces that people buy again and again for the flavor, rather than novelty sauces that are impulse purchases. Word-of-mouth is our most powerful marketing tool.
In The News:
Southern Living
The Toronto Star
Chile Pepper Magazine
Fiery Foods & BBQ Magazine
Chef Magazine
The State newspaper
Columbia Metropolitan
Skirt Magazine
Mark & Julie knew Palmetto Pepper Potions was a hit when:
The phone started ringing after our first Scovie win. The momentum built from there. We had watched "Fiery Foods Week" on the Food Network just a few months before that and had dreamed of winning a food industry award one day. To have it happen so quickly was amazing!
Words from the wise:
If you're considering launching a specialty food product, things like sleep, days off and leisure have to go on the back burner. Introducing your product to potential customers must be your priority. Be prepared to demo your product every chance you get -- nights, weekends and special events.
Why are Mark & Julie in the food business?
We had so much encouragement from family, friends and our favorite musicians.
Foodpreneur says:
With so many hot sauces on the market, differentiating yourself from the traditional "Hot Sauce" crowd is a must to get attention and sales. The interesting shaped and easy to handle bottles along with product names such as Larynx Lava and Molten Golden are a great way to get noticed. Staying focused on making the sauces more than just novelty items that sit on dusty shelves will keep customers coming back for more. The story behind the development of the sauce is a mixture of love, friends, family and music that ends up in a bottle.
Contact Palmetto Pepper Potions:
Palmetto Pepper Potions, LLC
P.O. Box 6126
Forest Acres, South Carolina 29260
803-782-8020
Website: Palmetto Pepper Potions
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