Gist: Herbs and seasonings, blended by hand
Who: Nick Crabill, 33, and childhood friend Josh Burrows, 34, started the company in the early aughts and Burrows’ wife Megan, 28, joined the operations a few years later. When the two had been dating for a couple of months, Megan remembers seeing: “random things that said ‘Rub It In’ and I was kind of thinking to myself, ‘Alright it’s been long enough, I can find out what this is about.’” Once she learned about the spice company—and its naughty tag line—she encouraged them to sell at farmers markets.
Started: Canoeing on the Shenandoah River, Crabill told Burrows he needed to fill shelf space and boost retail at his family’s butcher shop, Crabill’s Meats, opened in 1962. Burrows, a recent culinary school graduate and then-chef at Bryce Resort in Mt. Jackson, suggested selling private-label seasoning blends at the butchery.
Inspiration: From that conversation on the canoe, Crabill and Burrows developed three initial blends to enhance different meats at the butchery, including selling pre-seasoned meats.
Details: Many of the spice blends start with customer requests, especially salt-free concoctions. Burrows researches using spice encyclopedias and barbecue recipe books and then tests each blend using grilling, baking and sauteing methods.
Next: Jalepeno-based Hot Monkey Sauce, the company’s first foray outside of spices, will debut this year. / shenandoahspicecompany.com —Stefanie Gans
(June 2014)
