A Hot Sauce Made in Vancouver? Yup!
Seamus Dixon, SAUS
We love a good sauce so we were excited to discover that someone had launched one right here in Vancouver. The name? SAUS. The flavours? Awesome!
Seamus Dixon is the man behind the company. A restaurant vet for more than 20 years, Seamus has seen every restaurant position from every angle and has helped co-create the menus of burger joints, restaurants and cafes across Canada. "At home, where I had slightly more time, I experimented to create food with innovative flavours, textures and ingredients,” says Seamus. “What became apparent, time and time again, was that the magic ingredient was always sauce."
We caught the sauce-maker between batches for a quick chat.
How did the idea to launch Saus come about?
I have always loved sauce. About five years ago I made the coffee bbq sauce for a burger recipe. Things just kinds of took off from there. When the pandemic hit I had a lot of free time so I decided to launch Saus.
Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere, I love people and making sauce they love. I just like to play with flavours and am willing to try anything. I always have fun, creating every meal. I created a coffee bbq lobster chowder a while back and it’s drawn a bit of a cult following.
Why coffee as the star ingredient?
I love the depth of flavour it brings, as well as so any different varieties from dark, fruity and earthy blends.
Had you experimented with other ingredients before narrowing in on this one?
I used to cook a lot with beer, but it limits the amount of people who can eat it due to the alcohol and gluten.
What are some crazy ideas you’ve had in the kitchen that did not pan out and won’t see the light of day?
I am creating a collaboration with a local brewery and they really wanted a bbq sauce with a raspberry beer. I tried a Kentucky Black sauce which has a Worcestershire base. Rarely do I spit a sauce out but I couldn’t handle that one.
What is it about Saus that makes it different from other sauces in the market?
We really focus on the taste combinations. I pay a lot of attention to the coffee and spices that go into each flavour. We only use real food and focus on less than 10 ingredients per sauce.
All our sauces are gluten free and vegan. I am not a vegan myself but I do advocate and strive for a plant-based lifestyle. Sustainability is important to me and the future of our species. So any small part I can play, I will. I am big fan of regenerative farming, one of my company goals is to partner with a regenerative farm and support their growth. Essentially, we need to regrow our topsoil worldwide. We have lost 95% of the top soil since we colonized North America.
What have you learned in the time since you launched Saus about running a business?
Surrounding yourself with loving, smart people who can do things I am not strong at is paramount. Also building a strong foundation and sticking to that vision at all costs. Believing in the product and the overall offering.
What is next for Saus?
Continue on this new path we are five months old. We are collaborating with a bunch of local partners. We will continue to launch new sauces as the business progresses.
SAUS GIVEAWAY
Wanna bring some Saus into your life? Yeah, you do (trust us!). We’re giving away a Limited Edition, 'Keep It Sausy' 4-Pack. Why? Because four is definitely better than one here. Coffee Hot Sauce, White BBQ Sauce, Coffee BBQ Sauce and Coffee Ketchup.
To enter:
Follow @likevancouver & @wearesaus on Instagram
Comment on the Saus contest post
Tag a friend who loves sauce and should #keepitsausy
