[CH] re: $$$

Fieryfood@aol.com
Fri, 11 May 2001 12:20:56 EDT

I know it's hard to pay high prices for hot sauce, but don't slam the 
producers and retailers too much. The high quality hot sauces we enjoy in the 
US can be very expensive to produce - most are made in small batches to 
retain the high quality, and because a small business can't afford to set up 
a packing plant like Heinz or Del Monte or McIlhenny! Many people grow their 
own peppers (like our own Jim C) or buy fresh peppers from local pepper 
growers. The huge amount of regulations that cover everything from acid 
content to size of the label make it very expensive for a new food product to 
make it to market in the first place. Not to mention terribly time consuming! 
I work full-time and sell hot sauce on the side - and still don't understand 
how Jim C can work full-time, grow his own, and put a commercial product on 
the market! Many other small producers must also keep their "day jobs".
Then you have to add all the extra costs to get these products to your local 
store shelves. We've seen the cost of shipping dramatically increase (just 
yesterday it cost me $11.90 to ship 1 cs of sauce from Seattle to Illinois! - 
$1 a bottle!!!) Neither I nor my customer can absorb that easily. I buy in as 
large a quantity as I can afford to try to keep shipping costs down. Then 
there's rent on retail space - that fluctuates dramatically from place to 
place, but here in Seattle, the cost is prohibitive! Which is why, after 
almost 7 yr in business, I still work out of my home and do local delivery. 
You don't have to be reminded about labor costs and the rapidly increasing 
cost of electricity.
Most of us are not trying to gouge you, our wonderful friends and customers. 
We love sharing the heat! I try to keep my costs as low as possible, but have 
now had to enter the realm of almost $8 a bottle for the extract sauces. I've 
absorbed many price increases over the years without raising my prices very 
often - not necessarily a good business decision!
So, you don't want to pay $7 for a bottle of hot sauce? I'm with you! I hate 
to pay the high prices myself. But it's the price we pay to keep the good 
stuff on the shelf. We could continue to keep only Tabasco and cheap imports 
on the shelf and screw the American small manufacturer. But this is a fun 
business, with wonderful people (chiliheads are definitely a cut above the 
"general public"!) and fascinating products!

I hope this doesn't start any kind of negative thread as I don't mean to slam 
anyone. I just ask for a little understanding. When someone wants only my 
least expensive sauces, that's okay with me! So long as they enjoy what they 
buy. And for those folks who love the more expensive sauces and are willing 
to pay, that's great, too! But I'm not out here to see how high I can raise 
the prices. We all appreciate your support of your local hot shop, whether 
you can afford the expensive stuff or not. The point remains to enjoy what 
you eat.

Thanks for letting me vent,
Peggy
Seattle's Chile Babe