Awards

SA spicy mustard takes out world’s best title back to back

South Australia’s Grund’s Gourmet has taken out first place for their Southern Mustard BBQ Sauce at a huge U.S. hot sauce competition.

Images: Grund’s Gourmet

A locally-owned SA artisanal sauce brand has once again won big overseas, winning first place for their spicy mustard at the world’s largest not-for-profit hot sauce competition.

The Old Boney Mountain Hot Summer Night competition brings together almost 4000 sauces from all over the world. This year, SA’s Grund’s Gourmet cleaned up at the California competition with a few of the sauces placing in the top awards.

Owner, Taras Grund, first heard about the Old Boney Mountain Hot Summer Night competition a few years back, and ever since has been sending over a handful of his sauces to the States to be judged against the very best in the world.

“This year, they had almost 4000 different sauces,” shared Taras. “If you make the top 10 in a category, that’s a big deal.”

At this year’s competition, Taras’ Southern Mustard BBQ Sauce came first in the Spicy Mustard category, and his Chilli Jam placed third.

“We were very lucky! We sent the chilli jam over for the first time this year, and it placed third. The Southern Mustard was first again. We sent a few other things over too, there’s an accruing of points that then gives you an opportunity to become one of the best small batch hot sauce companies in the world. Last year we were 11th, this year we improved to 8th, which is just amazing!”

This is a pretty big deal. Being based so far away, unlike some of the locals, Taras can only send a handful of his sauces to compete. Fair to say, his are the best of the best.

Taras says that sauce-making runs in the family, so it was a no-brainer to turn a hobby into a career.

“We’re Kimba people from Eyre Peninsula. So growing up in a small country town, your grandparents make preserves and different relishes and all things like that. Mum and Dad always put their own spin on things, making different sauces, especially when we moved down here to Adelaide, they did a few markets and things like that.

“I basically followed in their footsteps and decided to make a business out of it. About 10 or 11 years ago, I wanted a bit of a scenery change, so I thought, well, let’s give this a crack.”

Just like that, Grund’s Gourmet was born. Ever since, Taras has been making recipes that can compete with the best in the world. While the secret sauce to his winning sauce can’t be revealed, he says he uses his own Worcestershire sauce in it, which totally sets it apart.

“The Southern Mustard is my take on a Carolina Gold, which is an American mustard sauce that has those awesome barbecue flavours without being too sweet. My lovely partner said, ‘You can’t call it Carolina Gold, we’re in bloody Australia’, so Southern Mustard it was.”

Taras makes everything from scratch, and experiments with bits and pieces of other stuff he makes to get the perfect taste. He says the mustard goes particularly well on hot dogs and burgers, but even with steaks or as a dressing.

“It’s got a little vinegary tang to it as well, so it’s not like a super sweet mustard barbeque sauce.”

You can find the winning sauce and the others at select butchers, gourmet shops, Foodlands and Drakes supermarkets. They also have a website where you can order directly.

For more information and to check out the sauces, click here.

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