Photo courtesy Clark & Hopkins
History: Brandon Clark, a former area chef and a Johnson & Wales University graduate, has returned to Richmond, but instead of appearing in restaurant kitchens, he can be found on market shelves. Clark, a certified hothead, often gifted various homemade sauces to friends and family, and when a fellow tennis player from Karauli, India, said one of Clark’s creations “tasted like home,” he was inspired. Clark and business partner Don Hopkins launched the company in 2017.
Specialties: The eight-deep collection of worldly pepper sauces takes users on a crash course through the bottles’ namesake regions. Sauces range from the earthy Ethiopia to the lemongrass-umami Laos and a peach, peanut and pepper trifecta in the Virginia. Their Chesapeake Bay bloody mary mix, a 2019 Scovie award winner, features a bright burst of fresh ginger.
Production methods: “There’s no other company doing what we’re doing,”says Clark, who uses native peppers and ingredients for the small-batch sauces. They lend both heat and flavor to various cuts of meat, vegetables, wings, tacos and more.
Where to find in RVA: Ellwood Thompson’s, Union Market, Libbie Market, Wegmans and online.
