Focus Friday: Wicked Blends

This week on Focus Friday we talk to the creator of  Wicked Blends, Steve Scott, a biker hailing from Dublin. We caught up with Steve to tell us more about his rubs and seasonings and how he came up with the concept.

What was your inspiration behind Wicked Blends?

The history of Wicked Blends isn’t so much a story as it is a journey and one of fun and plenty of cooking.

Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s sitting at the kitchen table meant only one thing to me, tasty food cooked by my Mum and lots of it. I have always had a love of food and cooking. I was encouraged early on in life by my Mum to follow my passion for cooking.

During the late 80s I travelled extensively on my motorbike throughout Europe on a culinary discovery, stopping off in Germany I was asked by my new friends to join their stunt group and learn to be a stunt man, so I accepted their challenge and learnt the craft, all the while working nights in various restaurants cooking. This pit stop lasted 2 years, I moved onto France cooking in restaurants for 2 more years, picking up new recipes and broadening my cooking skills.

After returning home from my bike journey, I set up an outdoor catering business.

Fast forward to my first visit to the USA , this is where I caught the BBQ bug, especially the use of meat rubs for barbecuing and since then I have been hooked on creating herb & spice rubs. It has become my passion or as some of my friends may call it an obsession.

After much experimentation I developed a line of rubs that have I believe to be the perfect combination of herbs & spices to complement the flavour of any meat they are used on.

How do you decide on your flavours?

Testing, testing, and more testing. After lots of market research and tastings with the public and focus groups, the feedback has been very positive on all four products BBQ Rub, Piri Piri Rub, Mojo Rub (Moho)and our Fish Seasoning.

How has your product evolved since it has launched?

As we are in the early stages of growth and this is our first quarter in business, so far the public reaction has been very positive and the sales curve is going in the right direction.

What tips would you give to someone who is starting out and wants to launch a food-related product/business?

Launching a food product can be a very challenging experience and rewarding at the same time. A good tip is to write a clear mission statement, it helped me greatly to outline the purpose of Wicked Blends and it is something I always look to when making a business decision to make sure I am making the correct decision. You can find our mission statement here.

Where is Wicked Blends available?

Find your nearest jar of Wicked Blends at https://www.wickedblends.ie/stockist.html

What does the future hold for your business?

We are looking forward to attending the Supervalu Food Academy Programme this autumn which is run by our local LEO.

For more information on Wicked Blends check out their website here