By: Sizakele Nduli
Marcelle Isaacs, and her husband Bruce, were prompted to establish The Sauce Queen in 2022 when their two sons suggested they bottle and sell a sauce they made at home. It was from using Isaac’s late mother’s recipe with their own blend of spices. When their sons tasted their sauce, they found it so delicious that they believed it would be a hit with others, sparking the idea to turn it into a family business.
Isaacs told Vutivi News that the following day, the couple, who were born in the Cape Flats, went out to buy bottles, sealing caps, and everything else they needed. They began labelling the bottles before inviting their family and friends to taste their sauce at a braai. Everyone wanted to get their hands on it. “Bruce started a marketing process by emailing, direct messaging all celebrity chefs, where we got Jenny Morris, who actually responded, and asked for samples. She did a blind testing at her restaurant at the time, and they loved our sauce,” she said, adding that while she hasn’t officially endorsed their product yet as they require marketing capital for this collaboration, she has facilitated an introduction to a chain of restaurants where they are currently undergoing trials with the sauce.
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Through relentless cold-calling efforts to buyers at major retailers, their persistence paid off as they were invited to meetings to present their products. “They approved us onto their SME programmes (Both Checkers/Shoprite Group as well as Pick n Pay group). In the future, it will be Spar. We are in deep talks with [two] ecommerce food companies that also love the sauce,” she explained.
Because of funding challenges and resorting to using their own car to deliver their sauce in the Western Cape, Isaacs explained that she still continued to work to help fund the business. She also takes on administration duties during weekends, while her husband runs the entire operational side of the business on a full-time basis, relying on it as his main source of income. “Our adult sons help out when and where they can. [We] outsourced tax practitioner, website and graphic designers, and marketing people,” Isaacs explained.
Today, they are in the process of developing two new exciting flavours, along with other flavourings and seasonings, to expand their brand portfolio in addition to their existing Smokey BBQ Sauce. “Shoprite/Checkers and Pick n Pay have already expressed interest in listing and selling our two additional flavours of sauces. “Subject to securing funding, we would love to have our own manufacturing and distribution facility employing staff from our community,” she added.
The goals and objectives for The Sauce Queen include becoming and remaining profitable, increasing cash flow, establishing and maintaining productivity, attracting and retaining customers, developing a memorable brand, and raising awareness of local culture through their sauce. “If there is something you’re really good at, just go ahead and do it. It was literally how we started, never giving up and believing in your product or service offering,” she concluded.
