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

Hi Isaac, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Uncle Icebergs was born back in 2009 as a hobby since we were preparing for our first child, eating health(ier) came with challenges and I decided that if I couldn’t find it, then I’ll make it. that is when our pickle line was born!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our Hawt sauces began years and years ago during my time in professional kitchens. We would spend countless hours prepping and preparing meals to serve in high-end establishments, and occasionally we got to enjoy what we prepared. I would cook the same way at home but instead of drenching my food in “regular” hot sauces or the nuclear one-drop type of stuff. I began to make my own sauce, and over the years developed 2 others. The first sauce I made was the Poppin Pineapple, now we have 3 unique sauces that go with just about any meal.

Once I left the hospitality industry, I still continued to make the sauce(s) and pickles, and right around 2010 I found myself working in the tech industry. Since it was fast paced many lunches were eaten at our desks and it was only a matter of time until someone asked what I was sprinkling on my food! Boom, business idea. I began to sell small amounts of the Poppin pineapple which sparked the entrepreneur in me and started to build a small business. Many don’t know this but Uncle Icebergs was one of the first companies to participate in the Great Park’s Farmer’s Market in Irvine!

Fast forward to today, and we still adhere to the strict methods and techniques that helped me graduate with honors from one of the top culinary schools in the country. These methods are applied to our sauce and pickle line, separating us from most other companies on the market. it’s not just the labor that sets us apart, it’s the love. our pickle process is taken from the traditional methods of pickling and mixed with some modernization so each jar is appealing visually and the taste is uniform. just about everything at Uncle IceBergs is made by hand! This brings me to the specialty sauces. Our Chimichurri has been one of the most popular products and usually flies off the shelves when we broadcast a fresh batch. Again it’s the process of being handmade, and very labor intensive but you see and taste the love that goes into each jar. So, most know that we specialize in spicy foods products but we’ve also launched a line of non-spicy or Not Hawt! we feel that our products can and should be enjoyed by all. if you like it Hawt then you’ll find something tasty and if heat isn’t your friend, then we have Not Hawt!

It certainly is not easy, we continue to face challenges but I feel that we have something special which is why we recently launched our pickle making classes. Mostly done in person, it’s about a 60-90 minute class and ‘students’ will learn about the pickling process origin, cutting techniques, label design and leave with a jar of their very own pickles or pickled vegetables.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We love the beach! It’s simple, and a good time. You have the Pacific Ocean on one side and all the different cultures of people around you. Then it’s off to the market. Maybe farmers market or one of the many small, niche local stores where we would plan our mea for the evening. Then it’s back to our house to spend quality time strengthening our friendship while we cook, laugh, and tell stories.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate this to my #1 supporters, my family. Laura, Devin, Noah, and Liam

Website: https://www.uncleicebergs.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncleicebergs/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncle-iceberg-s-hawt-products/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncleicebergs

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