When Riddell Fairfield started making sauces, he was inspired by his family. The more feedback he got, the more he started thinking of it as an opportunity.
While he was working in retail management and transportation, sauce became his side project. He started with four different flavor profiles, got into the commercial kitchen at his church and created Little Junior’s Gourmet Sauces.
Now, he’s focusing full-time on selling sauces and reaching new customers. Along with starting delivery in Milwaukee County, Fairfield is a new vendor at the weekly Fondy Farmers Market, from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays at 2200 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
Look for the four varieties — Sweet Lady, Sugg N Spice, Sweet with a Kick, Hot Dammit — at the Milwaukee Public Market at West Allis Cheese and Sausage Shoppe, 400 N. Water St.; Becher Meats, 2079 S. 69th St. in West Allis; Bunzel’s Meat Market, 9015 W. Burleigh St.; and Mr. Dye’s Pies, 8103 W. Tower Ave.
Building a brand
I’ve been in Milwaukee for 47 years. I didn’t start doing this seriously 100%. It was part-time. I was in a marriage for more than 20 years, and it hit me hard, the divorce. I had to try to figure out what I was doing. We had a transportation company together, and I didn’t want to go back to working a 9-to-5. I decided to give the sauce my full attention. This is me, building my brand again.
I have four different sauces to choose from, from sweet to mild to sweet and spicy to hot.
Now I’m starting to concentrate on it 100% of the time. For the last probably six years, I’ve been doing the sauce, but not full-time. I do everything on my own, just me at this time. This is my first year doing the Fondy Market, and I’ll be there every week. I grew up close to that area.
Behind the bottles
Each one of my sauces has a meaning behind it. My Sweet Lady is the first one I created. That was my ex-wife’s favorite, and it is named after her. Sugg N Spice I named after my daughter, I call her Sugg. Sweet With a Kick, it is the parallel to me and my youngest son. We are both sweet with a bit of feistiness and kick. That’s also my particular favorite; I like the contrast of sweet and spicy. My last sauce is called Hot Dammit. I’m not a real spicy guy, but I know there are people who love heat. I had people who love hot taste-test it, and that’s how that was created.
Kid-approved
I used children as my testers. There is no filter with a child. They will tell you if it is good or not good.
Saucy style
I don’t consider my Little Junior’s Sauces to be barbecue. They have the look of barbecue, but my sauces are multipurpose sauces. You can put them on everything.
I’ve had people use it as a condiment, as a marinade, a salad dressing, on tacos, fish, eggs, potatoes, and all types of meat. For instance, I used to be an A.1. steak sauce guy. Then one day I used my Sweet With a Kick sauce on the steak. That was it for A.1.
Lesson learned
In the process of trying things, I learned you can’t please everybody.
COVID concerns
The thing I learned from Sam’s Club, on certain days they had food samples. The majority of the time you sample something and people like it, they buy it. I felt confident to have people try my sauces.
Everywhere I’ve gone, except for now at the Fondy Market (where precautionary measures don’t allow samples), I have had people sample and buy. If 10 people tried my sauces, at least eight would buy. What happens if you can’t sample?
Favorite way to prepare
It depends on what I’m cooking. They can be used year-round. If I’m doing burgers, I actually use my sauce inside the meat and prepare them like that. I use it in all kinds of ways.
Building a business
I went into Woodman’s way before I should have initially. I thought I was going to get a no when I went and spoke to the people at Woodman’s, and I really didn’t know what I was getting into. They order things in bulk. My sauces did well, but it was a big learning experience on the business side. That was a lesson learned.
Finding his focus
I started the company back in 2015, but it was off and on, not anything I did on a regular basis. Now, I’m really focused. Before the pandemic, I was looking at doing a big event in Atlanta, Georgia. That fell through, and a lot of things look different this year. I was surprised that the Fondy Market was still accessible.
I don’t know how things will sell because I don’t get to sample my sauces. Will people stop? … When I went to the Fondy Market (to sell) for the first week, I was pleasantly surprised.
Reaching new customers
Most people have been doing curbside service, so I started a campaign to deliver the sauce to people’s homes in the Milwaukee County area. I leave it outside, you can cash app, PayPal. That has had a little success. I can do curbside and deliveries.
It is about finding ways to get people familiar with the brand, yet be safe and social distancing.
RELATED: His food truck is named for artist Frida Kahlo. His food is Mexican. And he's very proud of it.
Fork. Spoon. Life. explores the everyday relationship that local notables (within the food community and without) have with food. To suggest future personalities to profile, email psullivan@gannett.com.
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June 12, 2020 at 06:10PM
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A side project making sauces gradually grew into Little Junior's Gourmet business - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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