Knox Sauce made the press!

Calgary Citizen featured the business in their Community Spotlight recently. It's an adorable little article so please have a read.

FEATURED CALGARY BUSINESS
Knox Your Sox Off Hot Sauce

The pandemic, restrictions, stay-at-home orders — it’s been a year. And it’s no surprise that people are getting antsy, especially entrepreneurs and business owners.

At least, that’s how it was for a local Calgary couple, Andy and Shannon. After spending too much time at home and inspired by their mutual passion for trying new hot sauces they decided to take a deep dive and create their own. After a few hot messes — pun intended — they landed on their own flavour-filled collection that they’re now calling "Knox Your Sox Off Hot Sauce."

We sat down with these two and learned the story behind this epic name, their dream of being featured on YouTube’s "Hot Ones," and how things are going since they launched the business a few months ago!

It’s all in the name — how did you come up with it?

"The name of the business is derived from Andy's last name, Knox. We thought it was catchy and fitting, and gave the business a local feel. Andy wants to also be known as a "Hot Saucier" - like a sommelier but for hot sauce instead of wine."

What was the deciding "aha" moment that led you to start Knox Your Socks Off?

"People actually telling us the sauce was delicious! We had a "taste tester" team of friends who were raving about it and we realized Andy had a knack for fusing flavours!"

Why did you choose to launch your business during market season?

"We have been in Calgary forever. Andy is originally from Ontario and I was born here. It's our home and we love being close to family and friends. The small business community has also been so supportive and the few markets we have participated in have been amazing. You can really feel the community’s love and support!"

How do you currently engage with your community?

"Currently, we have promoted the business through word of mouth and social media. We hope to set up a website soon to help ship our hot sauce to fans all over North America, allowing folks to taste test the product has worked so well for us. It helps us refine our lineup of sauces and come up with new ideas for the next winning sauce. We love all the helpful feedback we get from our customers!"

Where would you like to see Knox Your Socks Off Hot Sauce in the next 5-10 years?

"It is fun to think about the future when we are still in the early stages. We would like to continue to push the hot sauce flavour boundaries and win an international hot sauce award someday. We watch a YouTube show called "Hot Ones," where celebrities go through the gauntlet of hot sauces whilst being interviewed about their careers. It is Andy's dream to have one of our hot sauces featured on that show. We also want to continue to sell in our community at markets and build a following to sell in retail stores."

What makes your community special and how have they supported you?

"It has been amazing to discover all the layers of support within our community. There are other hot sauce makers, true hot sauce fans, friends & family, the local community dedicated to supporting small businesses, and other small businesses themselves. Every day we find new ways to reach our market and connect with people who truly want to see you succeed."

Last but not least, In your opinion what makes a community?

"A community is a network of supportive people that make a place unique, vibrant and exciting to be a part of."