PUSLINCH – Two local hot sauce companies are vying for the same Ontario Made award.
Chucky Habanero and Lost in the Sauce, both based in Puslinch, are competing for the Consumer Awareness Award.
Ontario Made is an initiative of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, a Toronto-based association advocating for Canada’s manufacturing sector and industry.
The awards celebrate Ontario manufacturers and retailers who increase the sale and awareness of Ontario-made products.
Awards up for grabs include:
- Ontario Made Manufacturer Spotlight Award;
- Ontario Made Consumer Awareness Award; and
- Ontario Made Retailer Spotlight Award.
Erin Marshall is the owner Chucky Habanero and runs a facility in Puslinch Township.
Her hot sauce company is up for the Consumer Awareness Award, which goes to an Ontario Made manufacturer that has integrated the Ontario Made logo into their business and leverages their networks to refer consumers, manufacturers and retailers to the association.
“I feel honoured, I’ve always supported Ontario Made and Ontario-made products,” she said.
Marshall noted when she began her business four years ago, the first thing she wanted was to be part of the association.
She gained confidence to start her company through serving her friends and family homemade sauces.
“They would say ‘you need to sell this, it’s so good,’” Marshall explained.
She took a leap of faith and got accepted into a farmers’ market and “then from there it flourished and blew up.”
Her first sauce was the roasted pineapple habanero, a favourite among her supporters.
“It was unbelievable the support and now I’m up to five flavours,” Marshall said.
“And I’ve stayed true to my brand of supporting small family-run businesses.”
All her ingredients besides the pineapple is sourced from Ontario – even the peppers.
“I would be honoured to win an award like that,” she said.
“It shows me that I’ve put this time and effort in staying true to my brand by using Ontario products and using Canadian products … I work so hard for that.”
Lost in the Sauce, owned by Karthy Subramaniam, is also up for the Ontario Made’s consumer award.
When he heard the good news he felt “really good because I have been applying for the last few years,” he said.
Subramaniam nominated himself, taking his small-business into the spotlight.
“Initially I started because of my late friend Brandon Boodoo,” he said.
“I was inspired by his dad’s homemade pepper sauce we enjoyed together. No meal was complete without adding his dad’s pepper sauce.”
The OG Boodoo was the company’s first sauce launched – a spin on a classic homemade Trinidadian pepper sauce recipe.
Subramaniam noted he wanted to share his experiences with Boodoo through his sauce.
“We wanted to emphasize the flavour not just the heat,” he said.
“The goal is to show customers that all hot sauces aren’t deadly and spicy; there’s more accessible flavours.”
Subramaniam, who now offers six flavours, said if wins the Ontario Made Award it would show “our effort has paid off.
“It helps our brand stand out as a locally made product because we really believe in supporting the local economy.”
Voting for the awards is open until Oct. 5 and the top companies in each category will move on to the final round of judging.
The finalists are to be announced on Oct. 8.
To vote visit supportontariomade.ca.
