Slatherin’ Sauce expands grocery and specialty retail distribution

Slatherin’ It on for Children

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One of the things we enjoy most about selling Slatherin’ Sauce at events around the country is the opportunity to share our wonderful sauce with families. We just love it when children are excited to taste the sauce and take it home with them. The children always remind us why we do what we do…We are committed to providing healthy delicious products. We proudly welcome our newest Princess of Slather, Miss Lauren.

The London Report: Slather Brand Foods at IFE

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Taking Slatherin’ Sauce to The International Food & Drink Event in London was a thrill! It would have been fun to have taken all of our friends with us to London, but since you couldn’t go there with me, I thought I’d share all the news and reactions.

We arrived early and took a few days to explore and get settled into the time change. We had so much fun adventuring around London.

One of the great highlights of my trip was a visit to Jamie Oliver’s restaurant in Canary Wharf. The chef signed a menu for us and is excited to be be getting his own bottle of Slatherin’ Sauce that was delivered  to him after the show! We dined on large green olives from Puglia with Jamie’s’ special sundried tomato tapenade and crisp Sardinian Music bread, scallops with squid ink angel hair pasta, prosciutto, pear,and pecorino salad, and South Coast Frito Misto mixed crispy fried fresh fish of the day served with tartar sauce and lemon…plate included whole large prawns and sardines…delicious!!!…all this enjoyed with a lovely Prosecco from Jamie’s special cellar…Who need champagne?

We went to Central London to explore Parliament and Westminster.  The architecture and sculptures took my breath away. It was a very exciting time to be in London..everything was abuzz with plans for the Royal Wedding..Kate is so lovely!!! I am so excited for them.  Just as I was glued to the TV when the beloved Diana married the Prick of Wales so will I be glued to it when the beautiful Prince William marries the lovely and graceful Kate Middleton.

On Saturday, I set up the booth.. then it was nothing but serious work. I must admit it was a bit intimidating when I walked into the Grand Hall to find my display area within Southern US Trade Association. But once I got my booth set-up and saw how wonderful it looked, I was ready!

The exhibition was a blast! Slatherin’ Sauce was a run-away hit with hundreds who came by and tasted (hey, it might have even been in the thousands!) Our biggest new fans came from three different sections of the culinary world. Owners of curry shops were wild for Slatherin’ Sauce. They loved the flavor that Slatherin’ Sauce added to their Indian dishes.

Did you know that TexMex is a growing trend in popular cuisine in the UK? Neither did I! But we learned that TexMex restaurants owners thought Slatherin’ Sauce was the perfect companion sauce for all their Texican dishes.

Finally, we had lots of tastings sessions with food service professionals who found the flavor profile of Slatherin’ Sauce was something they want to offer their diners as a finishing sauce to add flavor at the table.

After three jam packed days of talking about Slatherin’ Sauce, we packed up everything and caught our plane for home.

Hopefully in the coming months, Slatherin’ Sauce will be available at many locations in the UK and I’ll be reflecting on all the wonderful days we spent, Slatherin’ It On in London!

Sustainable Seafood

Bruce Tuten Shrimpboat Image from Flickr

If you have been reading my blog posts for a while, you know that I’m really concerned with many issues and have worked to focus attention on the ones that matter most to me. These are: what we and our children eat, our environment and consuming locally grown food.

Part of my own actions are making sure our packaging is completely recyclable, and using recycled paper for the labels on our Slatherin’ Sauce bottles.

A big part of being concerned about our environment is the issue of sustainability; making sure we tread lightly, renew and improve our earth, our communities and our relationships.

Slather Brand Foods supports initiatives to focus attention on sustainable seafood and when possible, wild caught seafood.

Do you stop to think about the fish you consume? Where did it come from? Who caught it and how far did it have to travel to reach you? Are you eating fish that is under environmental pressure or is over-fished?

Answers to these questions and resources to help you learn more about sustainable seafood can be found at the South Carolina Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Initiative. The SC Aquarium even has a chart showing which fish are available month by month. You can download the PDF of that here. In California, the Monterrey Bay Aquarium also has a Seafood Watch section with advisories and other details.

Shrimping was once a major industry for the Carolina Coast, now, there are fewer shrimpers for many reasons. You can learn more about the issues and locate providers who sell wild caught shrimp via the South Carolina Shrimp Marketing website.

Now I know it’s hard when you live in Iowa to get fresh wild-caught fish and shrimp, but you can choose to purchase wild-caught fish and shrimp from U.S. fisheries waters. It may cost you a bit more to purchase, but the taste is sweeter knowing that you are helping an entire industry survive, not to mention species.

photo credit: Flickr user Bruce Tuten

Thanks, Ken

Ever get up in the morning and have your day made just by something someone says? Well, that’s how my day is today! Thanks to Charleston Post and Courier Columnist Ken Burger.

Ken Burger Post and Courier ColumnistKen interviewed me on Monday this week just as I was about to hit the tarmac and fly to London for the International Food and Drink Exhibition in London. His interview has become a wonderful story about how we’ve taken my ideas and turned them into Slatherin’ Sauce.

Ken’s column can be read on the Post and Courier’s website or you can read this PDF 2011-03-10-Burger Column Slatherin’ Sauce.

 

Certified South Carolina Honey Now in Slatherin’ Sauce

South Carolina Honey Now in Slatherin' Sauce

Bell Honey

Ever noticed how wonderfully sticky and slightly sweet Slatherin’ Sauce is? Why? Because every bottle of Slatherin’ Sauce is approximately 25% honey. Slatherin’ Sauce is produced in small batches and that means we need 22 gallons of honey for each bottling run. That’s a lot of work from the bees! **Fun fact below

Since our launch we’ve been searching for a South Carolina honey producer who can supply enough honey for Slatherin’ Sauce to use in our production.

Certified SC GrownAnd we are pleased to say that our new honey provider is a Certified South Carolina provider, Bell Honey of Rembert, South Carolina.

Craig Bell is the Beekeeper of Bell Honey. According to Bell Honey, “His colonies have grown so that he now tends over a thousand honeybee colonies scattered all over South Carolina… Many are strategically placed to pollinate South Carolina fruits and vegetables, including blackberries, blueberries, watermelons, squash, cucumbers, and strawberries and of course to make plenty of honey.”

Bell Honey is shipped to us as raw honey! Meaning that it has not been processed by anything other than a bee.

Beginning this month (March 2011) you will be enjoying actual tastes of South Carolina sunshine transmuted by bees into honey.

Fun Fact!

Q–How many flowers must a Honeybee visit to make one pound of Honey?

A–2,000,000

One gallon of honey weighs approximately 12 pounds. So, 22 gallons x 12 lbs. = 264 lbs x 2,000,000 flowers = 528,000,000 flowers visited!

Want more fun facts about honey? Visit Bell Honey’s website.

Slathered Guacamole Stuffed Shrimp

Created by Holly Herrick and photographed by Helen Dujardin, these snappy, Slathered Shrimp will make you sing with delight.

Slathered Guacamole Stuffed Shrimp

(Makes 16 appetizer portions)

All pink and green, these peppy little mouth-poppers just scream spring and make pretty starters for your Easter or spring feasts.

For the guacamole:

1 medium ripe Hass avocado, peeled, halved and pit removed

Juice of ½ lime

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Slather Brand Slatherin’ Sauce Spicy Recipe

1 large clove garlic, minded

¼ cup finely chopped Bermuda onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon best quality extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the shrimp:

1 pound, 15 – 20 count fresh shrimp, peeled, and deveined with tail on and butterflied

1 tablespoon Slather Brand Slatherin’ Sauce Spicy Recipe

Drizzle of best quality extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make the guacamole at least one hour before serving so the flavors can set up. Serve at room temperature. To prepare the guacamole, combine the halved avocado, lime juice, and Slatherin’ Sauce in a medium bowl. Smash with a fork or a potato masher to work into a chunky puree. With a spatula, fold in the garlic, Berumuda onion, fresh cilantro, and olive oil. Taste and season carefully to taste with salt and freshly ground black. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and press down the wrap so it touches the top of the guacamole, covering the entire surface. (This helps prevent the guacamole from discoloring). Stand at room temperature for up to one hour.

Meanwhile, turn your oven broiler (they can also be grilled) on high. Prep the shrimp by cutting down the round, back side of each shrimp, stopping at the tail. Peel the shell off of each shrimp, keeping the tail on. Remove the vein and discard. To butterfly the shrimp, cut deeper through the center of the round back, stopping about 1/8” until you get to the under-side of the shrimp. Fan out the two sides of shrimp to flatten. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of the Slatherin’ Sauce Spicy Recipe over each shrimp. Drizzle each very lightly with olive oil and the lime juice. Season liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place the baking sheet as close to the broiler as possible and cook, watching closely until crisp and golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature for five minutes.

To compile, arrange the shrimp flat on individual plates or a serving platter. Top each with a heaping teaspoon of the guacamole. Garnish each with a sprig of fresh cilantro if desired. Serve immediately.

 

WCBD TV 2 Story Includes Slather Brand

The Princess of Slather, Cheryl Savage is seen hard at work Slatherin’ It On at the Charleston Food and Wine Fest. Cheryl, you are so good at what you do! It goes by fast, but you’ll see Cheryl at the :56 second mark. If you’re out and about at the Festival today come on by and let us Slather It On for you!

Holly Herrick’s Duck with Cherry Compote Recipe

Duck Breast with Slathered Fresh Cherry Compote and Triple Cream Brie Cheese

Just in time for the Charleston Wine and Food Festival, we have a luscious new recipe for you.

It’s no secret that we adore Holly Herrick.

Holly’s recipe development for Slather Brand Foods continues with our posting her delectable Duck with Spicy Cherry Compote served with wedges of lush triple cream Brie.

This recipe debuts the eye candy photos shot by Charleston’s own Tartlette, Helen DuJardin. Look for more of the astonishing work from these two talented ladies throughout the rest of the year, right here at SlatherItOn.com.

Oh, and make a note, “Tart Love”, Holly’s newest cookbook illustrated by Helen’s photos is due out in September 2011.

I know what my foodie friends are going to be getting for gifts come this fall!

 

 

Duck Breast with Slathered Fresh Cherry Compote & Triple Cream Brie Cheese

Holly Herrick created this elegant dish using our Spicy Recipe Slatherin’ Sauce. Holly is a noted chef, cookbook author and food writer.

This makes an elegant, individually plated entrée, but can also be served platter style. A cherry pitter makes fast work of the pitting process, or simply half the cherries with a paring knife and pluck out the pits. The compote can be made a day ahead, refrigerated, and re-heated while the duck cooks. Simple and delicious!

For the cherry compote:

1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil

½ small onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup red wine (suggest Pinot Noir or Cabernet)

1 tablespoon chopped, fresh thyme leaves

2 cups fresh Bing (or another dark variety) cherries, rinsed, pitted and halved

1 cup good quality, low sodium beef stock

2 tablespoons Slather Brand Slatherin’ Sauce Spicy Recipe

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the duck:

6 medium large (6 to 8 ounces each) duck breasts, skin-on

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the garnish:

Several sprigs fresh thyme

6 thick slices triple cream cheese brie (or substitute generous dollops fresh goat cheese)

Begin with the compote. In a medium sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When warm, add the onion and garlic and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high, and add the red wine. Reduce by half. Add the fresh thyme, cherries, beef stock, and Slather Brand Slatherin’ Sauce Spicy Recipe. Stir to combine. Season lightly with salt and fresh ground pepper. Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer, over medium-low heat. Cook un-covered for 20 – 25 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by at least half and the cherries are chunky and tender. Set aside for a moment.

Meanwhile, prepare the duck. Remove from packaging and pat dry. Score the skin side by cutting through the skin (but not all the way through) in an “X” pattern. Season, skin side up, liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. When very hot, add the duck, in a single layer, skin side down. (Do not crowd, do in batches if necessary). Reduce the heat to medium high. Cook the duck for about three minutes without moving.  You’re looking to get a nice crispy/crunch on the skin and pretty golden color. Gently pour out any excess rendered fat. Reduce heat to medium and turn the duck. Season the second side with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes, for medium rare (155 degrees F, internal temperature). This can be tested with a thermometer or just touch the duck, it should be firm but yielding to the touch.  Remove the duck from the pan and arrange on a plate. Cover with aluminum foil and rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, return to the compote. Re-heat it and reduce further if needed. Ideally, there should be about ¼ cup of pure liquid in the pan, the rest should be fruit solids. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. When the duck is rested, cut each breast into three pieces, at an angle. To plate, place a slice (or dollop) of cheese in the center of a plate. Top with a fan of three pieces of breast and dress with the warm compote. Garnish each with several sprigs of fresh thyme if desired. Serve immediately.

 

Slatherin’ Sauce expands grocery and specialty retail distribution

March 1, Slatherin’ Sauce to be on shelves in 24 Kings Supermarkets and six Balducci’s Foodlover’s Markets and 29 new specialty retail outlets

Charleston, SC, February 27, 2011Robin Rhea, founder of Slather Brand Foods announces expanded distribution of Slatherin’ Sauce Original Recipe and Spicy. By March 1, 2011, the firm’s sauces will be on shelves at 24 Kings Supermarkets in the northeast as well as six Balducci’s Foodlover’s Markets.

Rhea also announces the addition of 29 new, specialty retail accounts gained at the January Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market®.

Other Slather Brand Foods news includes representation by esteemed specialty food brokerage firm Santucci Associates, Inc. of Feasterville, PA. Santucci Associates is brokering the sale of Slatherin’ Sauce to supermarkets in Metro New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Medford, New Jersey firm, Haddon House Food Products, Inc., importers and distributors of gourmet specialty foods serving the grocery industry, is now Slather Brand Foods distributor.  According to Hoover’s Business Information, “Haddon House Food Products is a wholesale grocery distributor that specializes in ethnic food, gourmet ingredients, and organic products. It supplies more than 15,000 items encompassing several different brands, including Asian Gourmet, Jane’s Krazy Mixed-Up Seasonings, Medford Farms, and Twin Tree Gardens. Haddon House serves specialty food retailers and other retail grocers nationwide.”

“We couldn’t be more proud to be represented by our incredible broker and highly-respected distributor. Santucci Associates and Haddon House together are the perfect combination to help put Slatherin’ Sauce on major grocers’ shelves across the United States. And we are just as delighted with our growing representation on the shelves of gift and gourmet shops across the country too.”

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About:  Established in 2009, Slather Brand Foods, Inc. is a spicy, sassy, specialty foods manufacturer based in Charleston, South Carolina whose products are made with premium all-natural, ingredients and utilize sustainable eco-friendly packaging.

The company’s flagship product is Original Recipe Slatherin’ Sauce, “The Cure for Boring Food®.”  Slatherin’ Sauce is a gourmet cooking and finishing sauce for everything from baked brie to wild boar. This sticky, sweet, slightly spicy sauce is a unique blend of honey, pineapple, tomatoes, crushed red pepper and spices. Slatherin’ Sauces are gluten free, preservative free, and free of high fructose corn syrup.

Other products are Spicy Recipe Slatherin’ Sauce and “Slather It On SM” merchandise.

Slather Brand Foods is a certified South Carolina product and a member of the South Carolina Specialty Food Association.

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