Meet Greg Foster | Hot Sauce Virtuoso

We had the good fortune of connecting with Greg Foster and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Greg, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Honestly, I was very hesitant in taking the jump and starting a hot sauce business. I wasn’t sure I was ready. It took a swift kick in the pants from one of the most generous men I know, Ed Currie of Puckerbutt Pepper Company, that gave me the confidence to take the leap. Going back into the beginnings of considering starting my own business, I had struggled for many years being content working for someone else, busting my rump to give all credit to someone else, and taking all the blame when things didn’t go perfectly. I was at the end of my rope and frustrated; however there is much to be said about a steady paycheck, but that wasn’t enough for me.
For me to be ready, I had to do a ton of research. I studied hundreds if not thousands of competitors products, I tested my own developmental products with anyone willing to try them, aiming to stay away from friends and family. I wanted honest feedback. I I spoke with many dozens of company owners in the industry I was looking to go into about their struggles and ideas for success and best practices. I wanted to hear failures and accomplishments. But what I really had to figure out was what my realistic expectations should be. Not succumbing to the pie in the sky, immediate rewards.
Once I felt I had a very thorough knowledge of my industry, the market and a line of products that had been vetted, only then was I ready to begin tackling the details of starting a business; company structure, trademarking, production variables, licenses and permits, financials, etc. all had to be figured out.
I had an idea of what I was getting into, only because I did my research, I connected all the dots before pulling the trigger.
That’s kind of how I’ve gone through life, when I find something that interests me, I go very deep down the rabbit hole. I don’t like too many surprises that are in my control to avoid, so I like to study, research and figure it out.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Starting way back when I was a kid, my interests in food preparation and flavor creation were stoked by my mother. I was one of those kids hanging from the apron strings, bugging the hell out of mom while she cooked. Little did I know the lessons I was picking up as mom forced me to be useful while in the kitchen would help direct me to a lifetime dedicated to food, culinary artistry and desire to create amazing flavors.

We often times used produce that we grew in our own gardens, tomatoes (which I have a strong aversion to), beans, squash, melons, leafy greens and especially peppers. We always had something spicy growing, anywhere from a jalapeno to a habanero, something to give our dishes a little extra kick. So, not only did I develop a passion for cooking, I was also learning the importance of growing my own produce.

I started working in restaurants as a high schooler, washing dishes to make a little extra cash. During college, I continued cooking and also waited tables to fund my “extracurricular” activities, and through the summers I ended up working in fine dining, where my true professional culinary education began. I worked with a few chefs that were willing to teach anyone who wanted to know how something was made, what and why the steps were important and what flavors really worked together to become a symphony of flavor. Knowledge was a tool I was able to use to make better sales and enjoyment with my customers, and in turn earn me more money; so I dove in wholeheartedly, wanting to know everything I could. This was the time I also started to get into wine, spirits and craft beers. I really was on a quest to learn as much as I could about flavor experience, tasting, and construction.

As the years went by, I went deeper and deeper into the professional culinary world, working in some of the nation’s finest restaurants, all while exploring the nuance of how different ingredients worked together. After nearly 30 years of working in the very demanding world of restaurants and fine dining, I was burnt out, starting a family, and didn’t want to work an opposite schedule from the rest of the world anymore. I had to find something that I could be passionate about and apply my extensive knowledge to.

I should also mention that not only was cooking and food a huge part of my life, I continued studying plants and growing vegetables intensively as well. In college, I studied plant biology and horticulture, really learning how things grew and how to best grow them. I even had a “garden” in my dorm room closet. But seriously, I always have had a passion for growing food, especially peppers since moving to California nearly 15 years ago. This has been another passion I wanted to bring into whatever it was that I was going to build for myself.

I started Inferno Farms Hot Sauce as a way for me to grow my own company focusing on things I loved to do, creating flavor combinations, experimental culinary practices and investigations, growing peppers, and eating some of the spiciest things in the world. Some say that it’s not work if you enjoy what it is your doing; I both agree and disagree. Though I love what I do very passionately, there is still a ton of work that has to be done to grow a company on your own, things that are tedious, laborious and often times downright painful to do.

The journey I’ve taken, and continue to enjoy, to get me where I am today ultimately was me following my interests deep down the rabbit hole, soaking up what I could like a sponge, and finding a way to bring those lessons together to provide me the opportunity to produce products that I am proud of and have potential to make a comfortable living from. I am truly living a dream.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Wow, that’s a great question. I guess it would really depend on which best friend come to visit. Well, first day breakfast I’d have to go Richard Walker’s in La Jolla and get the German Apple Pancakes or Dutch Baby, gotta fill up the belly for a busy day. From there, down to La Jolla cove to see the tidepools and sea lions playing around. Have to get outta there before rush hour! That evening probably dinner at Mister A’s on the rooftop. Next day, breakfast at Snooze for either their pancake sampler or any of their eggs benedicts. So good. Day trip up to Julian, grab some Julian Pie Company pies, and stroll around the shops. That evening maybe catch a show at La Jolla Playhouse, they usually have something great going on there. Ok, Balboa Park, duh! Zoo & Museums, that’s a solid day right there. Dinner at The Prado.
Gotta hit Convoy St in Kearny Mesa for amazing food, RakiRaki Ramen, Cross Street Chicken and Beer, so many good spots.
Some touristy stuff like Old Town, the USS Midway museum, Seaport Village, then dinner at Sorrento in Little Italy, they are amazingly good. Gotta hit the beaches, I usually go to the Del Mar dog beach with my pups or Coronado dog beach. Speaking of Coronado, gotta swing by the Hotel Del, I mean c’mon! Stroll down Orange ave and shop.
Finally, I’ve gotta show off our farmers markets that are just amazing in SD county. Little Italy Mercato on Saturdays and Oceanside Sunset Market on Thursday nights are my two favorites.
Gosh, what else… I think I hit all my favorites. I’m not a drinker anymore, but if I were I’d hit up the plethora of craft breweries for sure.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Ed Currie of Puckerbutt Pepper Company has been one of the most influential people in my journey as a hot sauce company owner. His generosity with his knowledge about the business and life in general has been nothing short of absolutely transformative in my life, business and as a man. Ed truly embodies the spirit of “Givers Gain!”

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