We had the good fortune of connecting with Brian Elliott and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brian, what makes you happy? Why?
Happiness to me is not success, but how you achieve it. It is hard to truly achieve happiness without failure or heartache. Happiness for me right now is growing a business where I have created a product people truly enjoy. I have been in the culinary industry for over twenty years now. When I see peoples faces illuminate with joy from something Ive created, that feeling transfers onto me. Happiness is also seeing my business build and thrive through the hard work and determination of my sales manager Heather. Heather pushes me constantly to be better and achieve higher, even when a week has been cumbersome and overbearing. Happiness working in the service industry is bringing fulfillment and joy to others. Apart from my culinary life it is spending time with my family. My girlfriend, Kimberley, is one of the most supportive and loving people throughout my ups and downs running Helliott’s Haunt Sauce. Whether an event week is triumphant, full of hardship, or just downright abysmal, Kimberley is always there for me to cheer me on. She provides stability and anchors me through when times are the toughest.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Helliott’s Haunt Sauce LLC was a pipe dream that began during the pandemic. It was obvious that the service industry market had come to an, almost, complete halt. Throughout the pandemic I started working in a field I was not terribly familiar with, sauces. Countless hours were spent on sauces of all sorts, but I found I had a knack for creating hot sauces and bbq sauces from scratch. I do not want to say that it was easy, but the creation process came naturally to me as I knew what flavors melded together and how to put a twist on all of them. Lessons ive learned along the way are that you do not try to force the filling station handle down with or hot sauce will spray across your eyes and to always wear protective gear. But in all seriousness I learned how to reduce pH levels, pasteurize correctly, and how to avoid fermentation from occurring (this causes a build in pressure in the bottles and causes them to sour or explode.) From my brand I want people to know that hot sauce isnt all that scary when flavor is balanced and incorporated correctly in correlation with heat. I also want people to know it’s okay to get outside of your comfort zone and try something new. Just be adventurous in life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them to the Iberian Pig in Decatur, it is by far my favorite restaurant. For places to visit there is no place better than the unknown. Picking a direction instead of a location is more exciting than ever having an organized/structured vacation. Thrift stores and flea markets are always a good choice because they thrust you into a cavalcade of unknown choices for things you would never normally purchase. As far as people are concerned, I usually avoid human contact when I’m with someone. I’m fairly extroverted, but most of the time a good horror movie is all I need where relaxation with a friend is concerned.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Every person I have worked under, throughout my time in the culinary industry, deserves credit for where I am today. I have taken every bit of knowledge I can from them and combined it to create the recipes for Helliott’s Haunt Sauce.
Heather, my sales manager, has shown nothing but support throughout her time with the company and has been there by my side since we first opened. She constantly pushes me daily to work harder and find new ways to locate a new audience. She’s my “boot in the ass.”
My parents and brother for suffering through the worst of my cooking days and taste testing years of horrible food I made. And yet eating it all with a smile.

Website: https://helliottshauntsauce.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helliotts_haunt_sauce?igsh=MXQxNWk3ZWllbHZxZQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/f1YXV2BchTVWHyLi/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@helliotts_haunt_sauce?_t=8nlKT0Iogdq&_r=1

 

Image Credits
Heather Patterson
Jonathan Elliott
Daniel Dent

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