Today we’d like to introduce you to Murdok Lambert.
Murdok, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was a chef for over 20 years and worked everything from greasy spoon to fine dining. Most of that time, I spent learning and perfecting my craft caring little for much else. But, after my youngest son (currently 13) was diagnosed as being on the Autism spectrum, I decided to look for work in other fields so I could be home in the evenings with him. You see, my wife is a bartender and even though I was working as an executive chef, she was making more money than me. So it just seemed like the thing to do, was for me to change my employment.
I tried my hand a lot of jobs: Uber, wholesale liquor delivery, construction, building maintenance and others. But I eventually started doing landscape installations working primarily with herbs and fruit and nut trees. The same company that I was working for also opened a CSA and I began working there from time to time. I grew up on and around farms in West Virginia and Kentucky and had always been an avid gardener, so this was an easy fit for me.
Keep in mind that starting in about 2009, I had begun making hot sauces from homegrown peppers as a means of preserving the peppers. By this point, I’d had more than one friend tell me to start selling the stuff. It took several years for me to actually go ahead with it because I was afraid it would take the joy out of making the sauces. So in 2016, I started selling my small batches at Wunderlich Interactive Historical Farm’s Monthly Artisan Market. It was super small then, I was only doing four sauces and really only one market a month. It stayed that way for a while, too. I, honestly, wasn’t upset with that, it was just a hobby that brought in some extra money from time to time. Plus, I was putting in 50+ hours a week working at the CSA and Landscaping company, so I didn’t really have time to expand.
In 2017, we got invited to the Hops’ n’ Hot Sauce Festival, and that was a big success for us. It was also the first time that I thought that I might actually be able to make a living doing my hobby. Shortly after that, I left the company I was working for to be nearer home and to take a position at Nature’s Way Resources. (A company that makes organic composts and mulches). That was a great learning experience for me. John (Ferguson, the owner) has several degrees in plant science and chemistry, and he’s one of those guys that every time I’m around him, I seem to learn a bit more about plants and the science of soil. But as the popularity of my sauce has grown, the amount of time I’ve had to maintain a full time job was squeezed harder and harder. Until, this past August, when I left my job and began pursuing this full time.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been difficult sometimes, especially trying to work a festival with an Autistic child. Luckily Lauren (my wife) usually comes with us to work these events, so one of us can often take him walking around or something to get him out of the noise. But honestly, he’s taught me more than I could ever explain. Before him, I had little to no patience, and wasn’t one to mince words or explain myself. He’s really taught me a lot about myself and how to treat other people.
Please tell us about your business.
Howling Mad Hot Sauce Co. LLC is dedicated to making a great product from fresh, wholesome ingredients that we try to grow most of, if we can’t grow them, we source them locally (with a few exceptions, like mangoes). The thing about our sauces is that we don’t use emulsifiers, artificial preservatives, added sugars or any of that mess. We grow many of our ingredients using organic methods and try to stick with Texas-grown fruits and vegetables for our sauces. Part of the impetus for starting the company was that many sauces out there are too vinegary, or just hot for the sake of heat. That’s why our tagline is “Crazy About Flavour,” we want to enhance your food, not ruin it. So with the majority of our sauces, you’ll taste the flavor and then get the heat on the back end.
One of the things that we do that I am most proud of is fundraisers. We are kind of choosy about what causes we get behind, but if it’s for disadvantaged/disabled children, veterans, or the elderly, we’re almost always right there. For several years we worked with a church in the Kingwood area helping raise money for a scholarship, more recently, we’ve begun a fundraiser for a local Boy Scout Troop and are giving 50% of all sales to the young men who are working hard to earn money for summer camp. And in April we’ve got an event lined up that will benefit the Lion’s Club Ranch in Kerrville, TX. The Lion’s Club Ranch helps mentally and physically disabled children and their families. That event is being put on by an MC (Motorcycle Club) that’s also a 501.c3 and Mancuso Harley-Davidson is holding it at one of their locations, so that’s going to be really fun!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Wow, this could be a really long list, but I think I can boil it down to the essentials. My wife, Lauren Richmond, deserves as much credit for making this a success as I do. I’m like the idea guy and the art guy all in one, so a lot of the times, I’m bouncing off the walls with ideas and concepts. She’s the one who says, “Look, I know that you want to do all of these events, but we have to pick which ones are most important to the company’s goals.” Or “Hey, you haven’t given me all the information or artwork for (random sauce) and we need to have this done by the weekend if you want to get the labels back from the printer in time.” So, she’s kind of like my mental manager, but she’s also been behind me the whole way. Not just as a cheerleader either, I often feel like she’s a better salesperson than me due to her many years behind the bar. She also took a big gamble on me. I couldn’t just decide on my own to quit my job and follow my dreams. This has all been with her blessing. There have been times that she’s had to cover my share of the expenses at home because sales were down or the company had to invest in something we needed. She really has been my rock through all this. I also want to mention a friend of mine named Wendy Davis. She has a hot sauce company as well, just based out of Florida. When I was getting started, she gave me a bunch of invaluable advice and still gives me pointers here and there.
Pricing:
- $7 Sweet Garlic Chili Paste
- $10 “The Ex-Wife” Honey, Jalapeno, Habanero and Silver Tequila Sauce
- $12 “Insanity” Carolina Reapers, Ghost Peppers, Trinidad Scorpions, Habaneros and Thai Chili Sauce
Contact Info:
- Website: www.HowlingMadHotSauceCollc.com
- Phone: 2818665534
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @howlingMadHotSauceCo
- Facebook: www.facebook.com\HowlingMadHotSauceCo
- Twitter: Howling Mad Hotsauce Co
- Yelp: Howling Mad Hotsauce Co
- Other: Howling Mad Hotsauce Co
Image Credit:
Murdok Lambert
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