At this moment in history, when most folks from the region look back on 2020, they’ll recall difficulties, frustration, or maybe even roll their eyes at the perceived ridiculousness of all they remember. For some though, obstacles look like opportunities and so goes the launch of Carter’s Sauces. Charles and his wife Kelsey (Davis) Carter dropped by Carmi Kiwanis Thursday to tell the story of their hobby business.
While the business launched during CoViD-19, the origins date back to 2015 after a bumper crop of peppers landed him with extras he used to formulated a sauce recipe which would become the company’s flagship sauce. Fast forward to the pandemic and more particularly economic stimulus.
And so when the government gave the relief check, it coincided with somebody who had tried it years past and said hey do you have any more of that sauce. I said, no I don’t have it, but I can make you some. So I used some of the sweet pickled peppers that I still had, blended it up, and made another batch of sauce. I went on Amazon and got some of the 5 ounce woozy bottles like you see hot sauce in everywhere and decided to put it out on facebook. I definitely credit the pandemic because we had 35 bottles on hand, I put it on facebook, all the restaurants were closed so nobody could go out and try anything new and I said $5 a bottle. We sold 167 bottles in 24 hours.
From there, Carter allowed customers to be the wind in the growth and expansion sails of the business. He says he would get feedback from folks who would ask for a Habanero or a wing sauce and new products were subsequently born. The company offers five pepper sauces, each with its own story, each with its own flavor profile.
To date, Carter estimates they’ve sold about 7,000 bottles and much of it here in the area. They continue to add new retail locations where you too can purchase.
We’re currently in ten retail locations. Those include Higginson Farms Mercantile, Fifth Street Market, and we’re new at Maier Grocery in Crossville. We’re trying…at least our if you want to call it our business model…it’s a hobby business…we’re trusting the process and seeing where it goes, but we’re trying to pair with family-owned businesses and place it in a family-owned restaurant nearby so people can try it and then divert to a local grocer.
The sauces are devised with recipes keen on all natural ingredients, no artificial colors or additives, and all natural sugars. Just last year, Carters Sauces outgrew their cottage kitchen and is now aligned with Bluegrass Superior Foods out of Louisville who promised to honor Carter’s process while picking up bottling responsibilities. That partnership also led to an agreement between Bluegrass and Thomas Family Acres in Owensville, IN where all of Carter’s peppers are grown which also opens the door to a local grower being able to sell more product.
As far as what’s on the horizon…Carter says he’s working a peach-based sauce. Read more about the Carter’s Sauces story, sign up for the newsletter, and buy individual bottles or gift packs on their website at Carter’s Sauces – Carter’s Sauces. Find them on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/carterssweetheat.
In club business, Kiwanis President Amanda Nelson reminded attendees of the Father-Daughter Dance scheduled for this Saturday at the 404 Seed Station and says next week, club members will hear from Briley Lenkatis from Southeastern Illinois College’s Small Business Development Center.
