A Stafford-based hot sauce maker held a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate its products hitting the shelves at the Fredericksburg Food Cooperative.
Since its operations began 14 months ago, Always Flavored has made its freshly made hot sauces, spices, and marinades available at events and farmers’ markets in Stafford and Spotsylvania counties. Founder and owner Rita Witte and her family celebrated their achievement of taking their products from the garden to the shelves of the food cooperative.
“When we went from having a garden to getting on store shelves, I couldn’t believe it,” said Witte during the ceremony. “We don’t understand how this is happening and that’s what we’re all here for because this is the business that I have. I want to be a community business.”
Along with food and music, Always Flavored made available its line of hot sauces for a taste test. Their hottest signature sauce, called Wrath of Rita, brought the heat that the woman named for the sauce promised it would bring.
” I’m a very satisfied customer,” said Charles Thomas, an Always Flavored customer. ” I was at a Mardi Gras event in downtown Fredericksburg, and I sampled the sauces, and it had a very balanced flavor and burn. I went home, ordered the full basket online, and tried it with my son, who enjoyed it.”
The event was organized by the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce, which encouraged the development of new local businesses. Many local businesses in Fredericksburg and Stafford County have closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, with several unable to reopen their doors.
“It’s absolutely essential to the success of our community and to see entrepreneurs come together and partner with local businesses as well. It’s exciting to see and it’s essential to our community to continue to see growth,” said Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce Director Janel Donohue. “People want to see growth from a local entrepreneur and from a woman as well, they want that.”
Also present at the event were Stafford County Board of Supervisors Chairman Crystal Vanuch, who spoke briefly about the occasion and remarked about Always Flavored and its status as a woman-owned business.
“It’s always exciting to see a new local business pop up in the area, especially when it’s a business owned by a woman,” said Vanuch.
Always Flavored products can be found on the shelves of the Fredericksburg Food Cooperative located at 320 Emancipation Highway (Route 1) in Fredericksburg.
