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Learn more about our history

Back in 2014, the concept of Smoked Q was born as a result of randomly searching for a recipe. During a family reunion at our lake, the first sauce recipe was served and received an overwhelmingly positive response, which gave the inspiration to create a handcrafted barbecue sauce. It took several years of experimenting, learning, and developing to come up with a unique barbecue sauce, building on that initial recipe.

Then in 2017, while further developing our original sauce recipe, my wife and I faced a new challenge when our son was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance. This led us to carefully read the ingredients of every food item we picked up at the store, and we found that most contained high fructose corn syrup, gluten, or MSG.

Our next experiments found us creating spice blends, baking mix recipes, and other items to go along with our barbecue sauce. Some of our experiments were successful, while others were not, but we had fun learning together as a family.

Through these experiences, the concept of transforming Smoked Q into a venture that produces small batches of handcrafted sauces, rubs, and spice blends came to fruition in early 2020. We discovered that numerous other families, just like our own, desired food made with recognizable and straightforward ingredients. Our mission aimed to avoid any unnecessary additives, dyes, or fillers.

To make it official we utilized the knowledge gained from pursuing an MBA, conducting internet research, and dedicating ourselves to hard work. Despite some minor setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to officially launch our initial offering of products on August 16th, 2021.

Since our launch, we have received an overwhelming amount of support from loved ones who have purchased and utilized our products. This initial backing has enabled us to broaden our range of offerings and expand our sales to the local community in NorthEast Indiana. In 2023, our brand awareness has greatly increased, resulting in a sales growth of 78% from year one to year two.

We are excited about the promising future of Smoked Q and invite you to join us on this journey!

Browse our original offerings