Alderson’s range of hot sauces were inspired by the spice of Latin America. Made with New Zealand grown ingredients, Alderson’s stockists are growing thanks to the artisanal nature of their products. Supermarket News spoke to Reuben Alderson about their growing business…
What is your company background? How did you start the business? Who are the owners?
“Alderson’s was started after my wife, Hannah, and I spent some time travelling around Latin America. We were inspired by the food and culture, and set about developing our chipotle hot sauce upon our return home. Our other products spawned from this initial creation over time. My background was in web and brand design so that was useful in the process of starting up a small business and getting the marketing side sorted.”
What is the current product range and variants and how do these products stand out in the market?
“Our current range of products includes three different hot sauces, a BBQ sauce and a set of gherkin dill pickles. Our hot sauces are all made with New Zealand-grown chillies and each offer a distinct and unique flavour. These include a Manuka smoked chipotle, a Kawakawa Salsa Verde and a Kaffir Lime Zest sauce. Our Morepork BBQ sauce is made without the use of refined sugars, giving a greater depth of flavour and is certified gluten free. It also uses Manuka smoked onion rather than liquid smokes to give a wholesome and natural wood smoke flavour. Our New Zealand grown pickles are sugar free and boast a North American-style dill flavour – in strong contrast to the varieties often found on supermarket shelves here in New Zealand.”
Has there been any recent company news?
“Our dill pickles have been selling well and we are expanding and upscaling the volume and product range in this coming season. All the gherkins used are grown here in New Zealand and we have had challenges keeping up with demand. We’ve now found a number of growers to assist so, moving forward, we will be able to expand our stockists for these products closer to summer.”
What are the plans for the business moving forward, is there any expansion on the horizon?
“We have a new product, ‘Spicy Nut Pesto’ which is soon to be released. It uses a combination of peanuts, almonds, olive oil and chilli blends to create something which we believe is quite unique and very delicious.”
Where are your products currently available to buy, and are you looking at or wanting to expand your availability? If so, where would you like to see the product situated?
“Our products are available in Farro, Moore Wilsons, Huckleberry, and a number of Freshchoice and New World Supermarkets nation wide. We are constantly expanding our stockist list and are eager to have our range in Countdown supermarkets at some stage.”
