Today we’d like to introduce you to Bob Cook.
Hi Bob, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As a chef in Charleston, I developed a bit of a cult-like following for my unique flavors and combinations. Cris was gone for a year deployment (Navy Reserve) and when she got home I asked her if she wanted to start a company. She said sure! Then the real work began: scaling recipes, learning the FDA process, developing labels, etc. We sold our first bottle of Korean Mustard on Thanksgiving 2015. Since then, a lot has happened! Currently, our line of gourmet condiments includes 5 sauces that we still make ourselves right here in the Lowcountry.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One struggle was understanding the legal process in order to make shelf-stable food. Science was one thing; I could follow that. But the combing through the federal regulations was a real challenge. I’m a believer that the answer is always in the pubs, so I spent a lot of time trying to decipher the jargon. We had to learn basically every aspect of a new business from scratch. The only thing we knew is that we had a great product and we’d never seen anything else like it on the market. Fast forward to today– we have the manufacturing process down, but there are still so many aspects (marketing, distribution, accounting, supply chain) of running a small business that we have to master.
As you know, we’re big fans of Burnt and Salty. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Burnt & Salty is Bob Cook and Cris Miller. Born out of decades in food service, a desire for big flavors, extensive consumption, and, most importantly, a love of condiments, our vision materialized in the summer of 2015. It all began with Korean Mustard. Between sesame oil, soy sauce, fermented pepper paste, Korean pepper powder, and fish sauce, Korean Mustard blends the familiar with the unfamiliar, balancing sweet, salty, spicy, and savory. The mustard is delicious when used as regular mustard- sandwiches, cheese plates, a dip for crackers and pretzels; but we also drizzle it on our eggs in the morning, over pizza, onto the fried chicken, etc. People like it in Bloody Marys as well as poured over a block of cream cheese (as you would pepper jelly!)
Our second product, Coconut Suka, is a spicy coconut vinegar. We use fermented coconut water and enhance that with Thai chilis, ginger, and garlic. What results is a delicious, all-natural, gluten-free, seasoned vinegar. We use it on BBQ meats, sauteed greens, fish and chips, added to soups, ceviche, fish tacos, sprinkled on potato chips, or (our favorite) doused on pizza. Also to note: coconut vinegar is fermented coconut water and has a distinct flavor, but does not taste like coconut.
Next comes Chili Glaze, Thai-style, spicy. Think Thai chilis, garlic, cilantro, and chives in a sweet, thicker glaze. More spicy than sweet, chili glaze is best used as a dip for all things fried, chicken wings, glazing salmon, finishing stir-frys or on grilled pineapple. Chili Glaze is all-natural, gluten-free, and vegan.
We also make a Spicy Korean Mustard and a Zesty Cocktail Sauce.
Our products have been featured in Travel & Leisure, skirt! Magazine, Eater and The Post and Courier; they are Certified South Carolina products. All have been tested by an Official Process Authority, manufactured by Cris and I in a DHEC-approved Lowcountry kitchen, and reviewed by the Department of Agriculture. We belong to Lowcountry Local First and the Specialty Food Association.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Best: waterways
Least: roads
Contact Info:
- Website: www.burntandsalty.com
- Instagram: @burntandsalty
- Facebook: burntandsalty
