Jeff and Sara Ward are the founders of Big Daddy Jake’s, LLC, Creative Pepper Products. Sara was born and raised in South Texas. Her Mother is a native Texan and her Father is an East Louisiana Cajun. She grew up on Texas Pit Smoked BBQ, and hot peppers right from the garden. Years ago, when she brought Jeff, a Canadian boy from Ontario, to Texas and he tried Pit Smoked BBQ for the first time, he was hooked! (She still thinks that is what made him propose!) They combined their addiction to fiery flavors, with old family recipes, garden fresh foods and all natural ingredients to create Texas Pit Smoked [tag]Hot Sauce[/tag], Pappo’s High In the Saddle BBQ Sauce, Tropical Jelly Mango Habanero, and Tropical Jam Yellow Tomato Jalapeno.
1. Why hot sauce? Where did the idea come from for you to get involved doing this?
We love hot sauce; so much our friends started giving us obscure bottles to try. Mixing them together never got the flavors quite right, so we decided to grow our own peppers and make our own sauce to satisfy our own cravings. Gifts to friends and family of our Hot Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Jams and Jellies created spicy food monsters telling us to offer these products for sale. After winning a few amateur food awards, we did!
2. If you had to pick a favorite sauce yours, which would it be?
Big Daddy Jake’s Texas Pit Smoked Hot Sauce. There is nothing like it on the planet. No one slow smokes 9 kinds of hot peppers on an authentic Texas Pit Smoker. Being from Texas, that pit-smoked flavor is a way of life, why not add that wonderful taste to our hot sauce!
3. Any new products we should be ready for from your line?
Yes, the company is called Big Daddy Jake’s, Creative Pepper Products for a reason. For the past two years we have been testing versions of a new BBQ rub. We have tested it and retested it on briskets, ribs, pork roasts and turkeys, we are very excited about the introduction of Matt’s Pit Master BBQ Rub. It has an incredible blend of pepper flavors with virtually no salt! This rub will make its debut at the Houston Hot Sauce Festival on September 16 & 17, 2006. We will also be adding Tropical Chutney & Cranberry Serrano, for the holidays. A Fiery Green Salsa, from an old family recipe, will be added towards the end of the year, and just after the first of the year we will be coming out with a hotter version of Big Daddy Jake’s Texas Pit Smoked Hot Sauce.
4. Where do you see the future of hot sauce 5 years from now? 10? 20?
Scientists will discover that capsaicin is the cure for all major illnesses and hot sauces will be mandatory for a healthy lifestyle! Because of this people will live longer and healthier, hot sauce will be the number one product in the entire world!
5. What is your favorite sauce that you don’t make?
Cocktail sauce, I love shrimp .okay, okay, it is hard to pin down just one but for Jeff it is Slap My Ass and Call Me Sally, the Second Slapping and for Sara it is Joe Perry’s Bone Yard Brew.
6. Do you eat the sauce you make?
Everyday
7. What do you eat hot sauce on?
Sara: Everything
Jeff: Almost everything, it doesn’t taste so good in beer.
8. What sets you aside from the other hot sauce producers out there today?
There are 3 distinct reasons we are unique:
1. We slow smoke our peppers over natural oak and mesquite woods.
2. We do not use ingredients we can’t pronounce.
3. Only 1% sodium in our Texas Pit Smoked Hot Sauce.
9. What is your inspiration before you embark on a new concoction?
Our inspiration is from family, friends and our own tastes. We are always on the hunt for something new and exciting! Sometimes creativity comes from a craving for certain types of foods, or the addition of hot peppers to an old family recipe! Great Grandma would be proud!
10. Outside of creating hot products, what else keeps you occupied or out of trouble?
Fishing, hunting, cooking and spending time with family and friends around the Big Smoker are always tops on our must do list.
11. Any weird stories or uses for your hot sauce that you would like to share?
We have a friend that keeps buying our Texas Pit Smoked Hot Sauce by the case. We eat a lot of hot sauce, but for the amount he’s buying, we are afraid to ask what he is doing with it!
12. How much sauce do you make in a week?
Never enough, Daddy Jake needs some new nighties!
13. How many different recipes do you go through when developing a new sauce?
This is tough to answer, as some of the recipes have been in our family for generations, and we won’t produce it until our family and friends say Perfect!
14. How did you get started in the industry?
A hard shove from our family and friends, and winning amateur food contests with all of our products.
15. What is your biggest challenge so far?
Trying to get Jake to leave the comforts of his retirement to come to the Hot Sauce Shows in his nightgown to autograph bottles. He is just having way too much fun!
16. What is the most common question you get?
Who’s that guy in the nightgown on your label? That is Jake, Jeff’s father.the nightgown involves some amount of shenanigans and a card game. The story gets stranger from there.
17. What do you want to know from the readers of the HSB?
Sara: What would you like to see more of from Big Daddy Jake’s? Good suggestions are always welcome.
Jeff: Why haven’t you gone to Sweat ‘N Spice, www.sweatnspice.com, and bought more of Big Daddy Jake’s Texas Pit Smoked Hot Sauce?
18. What’s a typical day for you?
Lot’s of phone calls, tedious paperwork, and our favorite pastime creating new recipes.
19. Worst burn ever?
Can’t decide between; Sara being 2 years old and sneaking one of her Dad’s little green candies off of his bird’s eye pepper bush in the backyard or Jeff accidentally setting himself on fire, literally.
Oh, did you mean hot sauce burn? Several years ago when we started making hot sauce, we were juicing some smoked habanero peppers in our kitchen without enough ventilation, we nearly killed ourselves and the dog!
20. Best burn ever?
When finally blended the flavors exactly right, our first taste of Big Daddy Jake’s Texas Pit Smoked Hot Sauce was dead solid perfect!
Big Daddy Jake’s products are:
Texas Pit Smoked Hot Sauce
Pappo’s High In the Saddle BBQ Sauce
Tropical Jelly – Mango Habanero
Tropical Jam – Yellow Tomato Jalapeno
Big Daddy Jake’s, LLC, Creative Pepper Products
104 Avalon Drive
Victoria, Texas 77901
361/575-7353 (office), 361/485-2688 (fax),
bigdaddyjakes@sbcglobal.net (email)
108 responses to “Meet Your Maker #10 – Big Daddy Jake’s”
Nice to see some Canadian representation in there!!
LOL the label guy is perfect that’s great!! Nick excellent job.
Nice review, sounds like a perfect topper for some ribs……….
Guess it wasn’t really a review, but the hot sauce is discribed and it sounds yummy……………..Great interview is that better…….
Not good in beer??? what?? thats crazy talk!!!! =) …. Let me just say this stuff ROCKS!!!!!! Jeff and Sara have created the best damn hot sauce out there… Here in VA we only use BIG DADDY JAKES… their BBQ sauce is by far the best I have even tasted…. IF YOU ARE NOT using this stuff you are just messing around and you should step back from the grill and let us take over!!!!! BDJ MUCH LUV JT
THANKS!!! Wow, now there’s a statement! Much Luv back from Big Daddy Jake’s
[Comment ID #48298 Quote]
You all know who the Big Daddy Just ask the THT.
[Comment ID #48302 Quote]
Ok you can call your sauce Big Daddy But Cajohn is the Big Daddy
Never claimed to be Cajohn….but we are named after Jeff’s Dad, and his nickname really is “Big Daddy Jake”…not trying to step on anyone’s toes here….just clarifying! Big Daddy Jake’s
[Comment ID #48303 Quote]
thems fight’n words Bret 😛
[Comment ID #48304 Quote]
I’m just playing around with you. John at Cajohns Foods His little nickname. Like to too see about carrying your sauce at my store. I will email you. Thanks Bret
[Comment ID #48305 Quote]
Dk I got someone that want to two step with the devil. I might need your help Leroy is still out.That darn dog is still licken his finger stump. There something strange going on between Leroy and that dog. I can see it end the dogs eye. So get the swamp buggy. OK
If I was CaJohn, I would eat every bit of ignite I could find and keep it all to myself and not share 😀
Oh wait, I am not CaJohn and I try and do that LOL 😀
Bret – no need to apologize – Would love to talk to you about carrying our products in your store! Looking forward to the email. Big Daddy Jake’s
[Comment ID #48310 Quote]
Bret, you sneak into the corn mash again? I told ya that was gonna be fuel for the swamp bubby, now I gotta make another batch! Leroy, get away from that dog! 🙂
[Comment ID #48314 Quote]
Wounder how many holers we have to cross over to get were that angerpepper is I herd he’s got one mean mrs. Heck they say she makes her man wear a pink helmet.
what a wench 👿
[Comment ID #48314 Quote]
Dk do you consider Dewey Beach Del. North , Southeast, Our in the Middle.
[Comment ID #48315 Quote]
I’ll agree, the Mrs. is rather mean, but I wear the helmet more for her protection than my own. Besides, it makes her feel special to be married to a “special” guy…call it roll playing 😈
yeah that’s it roll playing 🙄
[Comment ID #48315 Quote]
Bret, you’ve flipped man! 🙂 You’re killing me! 😀
Sara, great interview guys. Can’t wait to try your sauces. The Texas Pit Smoked Hot Sauce would have been perfect on the BBQ Pork plate I had for lunch today. That picture of the peppers in the pit makes my mouth water!
[Comment ID #48317 Quote]
As in Delaware? Heck, anything from NC up is north to me! There’s even North Georgia, and that’s south of me, so your guess is as good as mine! Only places more southern than SC is Alabama and Mississippi! Don’t know what to call middle, guess that would be Cali. ?
[Comment ID #48315 Quote]
Well, they don’t call her Mr. S for nuthin’! Hello Ryan, Mrs. Ryan, I’ll shut up now! 😉
[Comment ID #48317 Quote]
Just checking Going to be there the 12th on. I was over At Billy Bobs trailer and he’s got one those I B M things that you can ckeck things out on. We were looking for a diner that we could get some crawdaddys to eat and all they have is crabs heck if I wanted crabs I could stay home Betty lou still has them.
[Comment ID #48323 Quote]
Ok, guess I’m gonna have to send Bubba over to take that swamp buggy fuel away from ya. You’ve had enough! 😀 You remember what happened last time I sent her over! 😉
[Comment ID #48319 Quote]Don’t make me play with YOUR roll 😎
I mean “role”…I think 😛
“Bret, you’ve flipped man! You’re killing me! ”
DK, I think it’s safe to say you’ve BOTH flipped! Poor Leroy.
or was that hole? 🙄
[Comment ID #48322 Quote]
No need to shut up, don’t let her frighten you like that. All you have to do is threaten to get a mullet and she’ll back down 😀
Gotta head home now…see you guys later!
[Comment ID #48329 Quote]
Mullet’s good eatin’ in these parts. Good gator bait too! 🙂
[Comment ID #48328 Quote]
Holey Moley! 😯
[Comment ID #48329 Quote]
What do you mean threaten to get a mullet. Dk you still have yours I do.
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Poor Leroy!? What about that poor dog? 😉
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Already fileted mine, in the fryer now!
[Comment ID #48337 Quote]
Be back vittles are done.
[Comment ID #48336 Quote]
That da*n dog is lucky he hasn’t been used as gator bait! Livin the life tied to a chain fence sniffin cow pies all night and chasin tree rats when he pleases.
Hey Bret, You sell mullet at JJ’s? You see it a lot around here. Truthfully, I always just thought it made good fish bait, but I guess some like to eat it.
DK Thanks for the cudos, would love to know what you think after your first taste of Big Daddy Jake’s Texas Pit Smoked Hot Sauce…if you love smoked BBQ, you are going to really love it!!!! Sara and Jeff
DK I sent you an email.
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Anthony, Thanks eh….Canadians like it spicey too! Jeff
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And we’re the ones that flipped! Ha! 😀
Gotta go for a bit, my vittles are ready now also. 🙂
[Comment ID #48343 Quote]
Ok, have not gotten it yet, I’ll keep checking for it. Thanks.
[Comment ID #48303 Quote]
Bret, you’re bigger than me, besides, they can call it anything they wan’t. Just don’t call us late for supper! I’ve met these folks, darn nice people and a real good sauce! DK, they don’t have mullet swimmin’ round those big tanks, maybe they have some frozen though.
What up Cajohn
How you doin TC? Did you get that order? We had to make one of the sauces.
Tracy is prolly monkeying around 😛 you know how he is 😉
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Thanks “Big Daddy”, we think you are pretty terrific! Jeff and Sara
HELLO Everyone!…. Am I late to the party? 😀
[Comment ID #48348 Quote]
I told them I was kidding around
[Comment ID #48361 Quote]
Hey Bret…. Did you try the Habby Horse….
[Comment ID #48354 Quote]
Sara John will never sell me anything again.LOL Were’s The love everybody.
[Comment ID #48363 Quote]
No Lunch today will try Friday
[Comment ID #48364 Quote]
Bret
I take no offense…Momma always told me “Southern girls are a thin layer of marshmellow covering a mack truck” We can still talk!
Sara
[Comment ID #48365 Quote]
We will be grilling brats and metts for lunch
[Comment ID #48366 Quote]
Did you get my email
[Comment ID #48366 Quote]
Dk I think we have a southern girl here
[Comment ID #48368 Quote]
Yes and I sent you one back, to the address you highlighted….at Jungle Jims
Sara
[Comment ID #48370 Quote]
I’ll get it friday thanks.
[Comment ID #48369 Quote]
Yes you do, Momma’s maiden name is “Lee” as in Robert E.
Sara
Poor Bret,
No love on the blog for you! Try again friday big man 😛
Just kidding we really do like you lots and appreciate all you do
[Comment ID #48367 Quote]
Bret,
You’re in for a treat, and on Brats, that sounds so good, what time is lunch? hehe
I broke out the Habby Horse the other day, just to try on chips and its half gone!
[Comment ID #48373 Quote]
LOL – I Love Bret – my first customer!!!!!!
HOw are you tonight Mrs R!
[Comment ID #48373 Quote]
But I do fell the Love. There’s A bunch great people on this Blog. Were else can you talk about your interself.
[Comment ID #48374 Quote]
Mine is already gone!!!!! Sending you a PM now bigshow
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k… yeah hope Creator has alot more on the 12th, taking orders from all my friends.
[Comment ID #48374 Quote]
Anytime big man.
[Comment ID #48378 Quote]
He says he will….. I definitely need to stock up.
[Comment ID #48377 Quote]
Huv is he ready for retail yet on the habby.
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gonna have to make it over your way, to meet ya and check out the store.
Time for everyone to leave and go to bed now 🙂
Anyone going to the Chicago Botanical Gardens “All About Chiles” festival this weekend? Anybody hear about it?
[Comment ID #48383 Quote]
Past your bed time Jim? Aren’t you in training? How many steps today?
[Comment ID #48381 Quote]
Not yet…. still cooking it at home (as far as I know), He is working on getting it bottled to sell. Definitely a winner. The latest batch is incredible. Almost ate your bottle a few times!!!!!
[Comment ID #48382 Quote]
Then I can hook you up with some goodies.
[Comment ID #48382 Quote]
Let’s plan a trip sometime – I also definitely want to go!
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LOL – it actually is!!!!!!!!!
[Comment ID #48384 Quote]
I must have done like 100 steps today 😀
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Hey Jim….. find any mash 😀 Officially all out 🙁
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Jim there’s a sign at front that saids no chiliheads can enter these gardens. LOL I guess they think the chiliheads would try the peppers.
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No incentives needed, but ok 🙂
[Comment ID #48387 Quote]
sounds like a plan to me. we’ll have to work on that
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Waaaayyyy past actually 🙂 Been packing for said show- I’m supposed to be a vendor there.
Done stepping till the event. Tweaked my Achilles yesterday trying for 55,000. Took it as a sign from God to lighten up 😉 Accupuncture treatment, anti-inflammatories, ice & rest until it gets better. Still don’t think I won’t get it, just changes how much pain I’ll be in when I do it 😉
[Comment ID #48394 Quote]
thats cool, i didnt even hear about it. sounds like it would be some site to see. don;t forget that training though…you have to make us fat chileheads look good. lol
[Comment ID #48395 Quote]
Ouch….well…i’m sure any chilehead will tell you… “Pain is Good!!”
[Comment ID #48395 Quote]
Have you tried BEER? I’ve been drinking it all night, and my achilles is fine 😀
[Comment ID #48398 Quote]
Yeah, but how’s the liver? You training it for the next Defcon Day? lol
[Comment ID #48398 Quote]
Burp|||||||||
[Comment ID #48399 Quote]
LOL – Liver is fine. I think its the only organ that regenerates itslef (thank God).
Always training for DEFCON…. although I’ve officially entered retirement (can’t bear the humiliation of defeat any longer 😀 )
[Comment ID #48390 Quote]
NO way! I really hope you’re kidding. Looks to be quite a fancy place- that’d be the only reason I could think of for keeping us out 😉
[Comment ID #48400 Quote]
LOL – gotta crash now….. another long day tomorrow. Good night everyone!
[Comment ID #48397 Quote]
Not in *these* circles!! That one (Pain is Good) is made by one of the manufacturing folks (Original Juan) I really don’t choose to associate with 😉
[Comment ID #48401 Quote]
well next time no contest….just a challenge to do a Zero wing with me. we both win…or lose…depending on how you look at it
[Comment ID #48389 Quote]
Found some- but they’re still green and on the plants 😉 About a month out yet. Neither CaJohn or I are looking forward to it at this point yet though. Harvest would be down about crisis #32 on the list at the moment 🙂
[Comment ID #48404 Quote]
Sorry, didn’t mean them in anyway….just the idea of heat and pain is good, nothing implied to Original Juan. The old workout saying..No Pain..No Gain…. just had to clarify that.
Back to work. Night all. See you in a few hours on the tax payers’ nickel 🙂
[Comment ID #48407 Quote]
I knew what you meant- just having fun 😉 My statement still stands, even though I knew to what you were referring.
[Comment ID #48409 Quote]
lol..fair enough…have a good one. enjoy chicago
[Comment ID #48406 Quote]
LOL ;D
[Comment ID #48411 Quote]
Huv,
Have a good one, just e-mail me when you get that list.
[Comment ID #48405 Quote]
It still scares me. But I figure I had more extract on the 10 wings than on 1. I guess a couple of dumb polocks can do it 😀
[Comment ID #48413 Quote]
that was my thoughts exactly….at the worst, we eat some packets of sugar after…
Got to go look for Leroy someone said he out behind the shed with the dog. Night all.
[Comment ID #48416 Quote]
Bret have a good one. ttyl
[Comment ID #48381 Quote]
No, not yet. We’re in the process of testing the batches from the co-packer to make it perfect. Just a little more tweaking. I’ll have some on the 12th, but get it soon, it’s not a huge batch this time, most of it went to the co-packer, lucky guy. 🙂
[Comment ID #48385 Quote]
We’re using a friends commercial kitchen, which doesn’t allow us very much time to make it, as it’s a very busy kitchen. Not to worry, a couple more weeks and the world shall be knee deep in the stuff. 😀
[Comment ID #48401 Quote]
You’re not getting off THAT easy. I have an all new idea for a much improved DEATHMATCH, and it doesn’t contain wings. Think of the ingestible as sort of a “Creator Crispy Treat”. Man, the ideas you come up with when imbibing large quantities of scotch. Evil, yet effective. 🙂
Hey Defcon, did you get my reply to your email. Having issues with the server.
[Comment ID #48446 Quote]
Got it.