Today we’d like to introduce you to Gindo and Mary Ginder.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
What if a chef spent an entire decade training and researching how to perfect and execute one type of food? We are Chris and Mary Ginder, a husband and wife team on a mission to change the way people think about hot sauce and leave our mark on the world of fiery foods forever!
We first launched our company, Gindo’s, back in 2011 in Los Angeles, CA which managed to garner attention and praise from the local foodies and chefs. As our business and family started to grow, we decided if we were really going to turn this company into something special that could one day be passed down to our two girls, we were going to need to make some serious changes. We decided to take a gamble and start completely over by moving to the Midwest to build a solid foundation near one of the greatest food cities in the world – Chicago!
Our craft hot sauces consist of 3 year-round straight-forward pepper sauces and over 100 small batch limited release sauces that Chris “Gindo” spends almost every waking hour conceptualizing.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One of our biggest obstacles came in our early days when we had a large batch of sauce that was not coming out right. Rather than scrap the whole thing, Gindo turned it into an opportunity to craft what would become our very first limited release. We called it Belizean Jerk sauce and it was a huge hit that helped spark an idea that would soon become part of our business model.
Since we got into this business, the hot sauce industry has become a lot like the craft beer movement. There’s a new one popping up almost everyday which clearly creates a lot of competition. That being said, we love the challenge of coming up with new ways to make our company stand out and we firmly believe our quality and passion will always give us that edge.
Part of our goal when coming to the Chicagoland area was to source ingredients directly from farmers, so our first challenge when we got here was to lock in that supply chain. After immersing ourselves with the local farmers markets, we’ve been lucky to be able to partner up with almost a dozen farms which has given us access to an ever growing variety of exotic peppers and other fresh ingredients.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Gindo’s Spice of Life – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
What makes Gindo’s Hot Sauces unique is that they are handcrafted, award-winning sauces composed of farm fresh peppers and carefully curated sea salts. Most importantly, they are flavor driven so you can generously pour them over food without setting your mouth on fire. In fact, we always think in terms of “what will our sauces pair with,” as opposed to, “how hot your mouth will feel.”
As for our limited release sauces, we love finding new inspiration at our local markets and creating new sauces almost the way a chef would be inspired when developing a new menu or special.
These craft hot sauces have become such a hit during our farmers market season that we sell out of them before they can make it to our website. Luckily, we just launched a Hot Sauce of the Month Club so that fans can get a lot of these sauces delivered right to their door every month.
Some of our recent limited releases include Sun-Dried Tomato, Truffle Parmesan, Hickory Smoked Serrano, Cold-Smoked Chipotle and Espresso Habanero, just to name a few.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our goal is to become the premier hot sauce brand in the Midwest that represents quality, freshness and flavor with a strong emphasis on customer service and local sustainability. We are passionately working to have Gindo’s Hot Sauces become the secret ingredient in every chef’s pantry, the go-to sauce at your favorite restaurant, the must-have condiment in every kitchen.
Pricing:
- Gindo’s Original (8oz) $10
- Gindo’s Jalapeno Poblano (8oz) $10
- Gindo’s Honey Habanero (8oz) $10
- Gindo’s Small Batch Limited Releases (5oz) $10
- Gindo’s 3 Bottle Gift Box $32
- Hot Sauce of the Month – 1 Bottle $15.95 (includes shipping)
- Hot Sauce of the Month – 3 Bottles $39.95 (includes shipping)
Contact Info:
- Website: Gindos.com
- Phone: 855-4-GINDOS (444-6367)
- Email: chris@gindos.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegindos/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegindos/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheGindo
Image Credit:
Jorge Gera, Scott Stewart Photography
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