Aubrey Lenyard , Creator of AubSauce
Today we’d like to introduce you to Aubrey Lenyard.
Aubrey, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.The AubSauce story began out of a conversation I had with my friend, Donna. A foodie’s foodie who enjoyed culinary delights, she was searching for a peach-infused barbecue sauce recipe to pair with a pork loin she planned to cook. Gradually, our conversation morphed into a challenge: Could I create a barbecue sauce of my own?
Since I’ve always thrived on challenges, I was determined to come up with a recipe that was not only good but a true palate pleasure. Sharing what I created with a few close friends and family, I heard the same but encouraging response: “You should sell this!” So, for nearly a year, I spent my weekends perfecting the barbecue sauce, and in my free time, during the week, I held tastings. The feedback from my tastings was overwhelmingly positive: “This is good,” “I love it,” “this is so unique; I’ve never tasted anything like this before,” and my favorite: “where can I buy it?”
The positive responses and encouragement led me to launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise the initial capital to bring AubSauce to market. I raised $10,000 — twice my $5,000 goal — and AubSauce was born. Following my successful launch, AubSauce won the People’s Choice Award at the 2019 Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest.
A program of the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, Flavor of Georgia is an annual agricultural showcase that highlights the most promising and up-and-coming food entrepreneurs from across the state.
The contest featured 11 categories for food makers to showcase their prototypes or commercially available made-in-Georgia food products.
A little more than a year ago, I started with just an idea for a barbecue sauce. Now, to see that dream come to fruition after working to develop and build AubSauce in that time to where it is today is truly amazing. And my AubSauce entrepreneurial voyage is still ongoing as 2020 is the year I plan to introduce my fourth sauce: Strawberry-Balsamic & Rosemary.
Has it been a smooth road?Knock on wood, we have not been hit with many challenges. Our biggest challenge has been keeping up with the demand and the pressures that put on our shipping logistics. We currently sell in 12 retail shops across the country – from the Pacific Northwest to the Northeast to the South. We’ve also had to fulfill orders in the United Kingdom and Continental Europe, which further adds to our logistics challenges.
We’d love to hear more about your business.AubSauce is a line of small-batch, artisan barbecue sauces. AubSauce features three sauces — Spicy Peach, Fiery Pineapple Mango, and Original Barbecue. All contain a mixture of spicy, sweet, and savory flavors! AubSauce is made in small batches the old-fashioned way: slowly and on low heat. We do this to maintain a certain level of control over the taste of our sauces, which most large-scale factories don’t have the time or the resources to guarantee. The AubSauce collection of high-quality sauces are lovingly crafted only with the best, locally sourced ingredients. They are free of any additives, artificial colors, and flavors. Our sauces help create the most flavorful food. Our brand philosophy is that our sauces are socially and economically impactful, and environmentally responsible.
Aubrey, the passionate creator of AubSauce, spent many summers in his grandmothers’ kitchens and watched them cook for hours on end. Spending that time with them instilled in him a passion for combining good food with good company. That also helped feed his experimental side in the kitchen by combing ingredients you wouldn’t ordinarily mix to make unexpected, but delicious new creations. Nothing excites him more than sharing his delicious and unique creations with family and friends!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?I would certainly recommend metro Atlanta as a great place to launch a business for two reasons: 1. As a food entrepreneur in Georgia, where agriculture is such an important part of the economy, there is a lot of support for food and food-related businesses thanks to the state and local programs designed to help us launch and grow. 2. Being in metro Atlanta, I’m in a community of entrepreneurs from a number of different industries and we support each other, encourage each other, and inspire each other.
If there is one thing that could be improved, though, I would have to say it’s the process for establishing a business in Atlanta. It would be great if there was a central website or city concierge-type person who could give would-be entrepreneurs a welcome packet of sorts to starting a business in Atlanta – from the incorporation process to trademark to insurance and the business license process. To have a what I call a “first-time-business-setup” checklist, would have helped immensely. Had I had something like that, I think it would not have taken a year for me to obtain my business license. The overall process for launching a small business should be much more streamlined and simple.