Re: [CH] re: $$$
L Anderson (lowella@serv.net)
Fri, 11 May 2001 17:15:33 -0700
I was in Key West a few years ago and dropped by a local hot sauce
place, memory fades so I don't recall the name. Hundreds of variations
on the pepper sauce were to be beheld! I about choked when one sauce I
wanted had an $8 or so price tag for a 4-5oz bottle. Needless to say, I
put my wallet back in my pocket and left without the desired item--my
loss. After all, I could make my own to satisfy my habit! After
reading Peggy's "vent" and recalling that day in the Key West pepper
store, it struck me that paying $8 was low compared to what it costs me
to "roll my own" here in Seattle. Eight bucks is a bargain! I'll keep
rolling my own for the fun of it, but I'll never again pass on paying $8
for my next desired pepper fix!
Lowell Anderson
Fieryfood@aol.com wrote:
>
> 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