Today we’d like to introduce you to Isaac Buchanan.
Hi Isaac, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Uncle Icebergs was born back in 2009 as a hobby since we were preparing for our first child, eating health(ier) came with challenges and I decided that if I couldn’t find it, then I’ll make it. That is when our pickle line was born!
Our Hawt sauces began years and years ago during my time in professional kitchens. We would spend countless hours prepping and preparing vegetables and proteins to serve in high-end establishments and most times we got to eat what we prepared, but I would cook the same way at home and there was nothing that in-between the basic hot sauces you find in many restaurants to the nuclear one-drop novelty sauces. It made sense to make my own so I could adjust to what heat and flavors I thought would be the best tasting. First sauce made was the Poppin Pineapple, now we have 3 unique sauces that go with just about any meal you can create.
Right around 2010 I found myself working in the tech industry, and there was a kitchen-sized void in me, so I continued making the sauces and pickles. I soon found out that like a kitchen, office life also was fast-paced so many lunches were eaten at our desks. It was only a matter of time until someone asked what I was sprinkling on my food? Boom, business idea. I began to sell small amounts of the Poppin pineapple which sparked the entrepreneur in me and started to build a small business. Many don’t know this but Uncle Icebergs was one of the first companies to participate in the Great Park’s Farmer’s Market in Irvine!
Fast forward to today, and we still adhere to the strict methods and techniques that helped me graduate with honors from one of the top culinary schools in the country. These methods are applied to our sauce and pickle line, separating us from most other companies on the market. It’s not just the labor that sets us apart, and it’s the love. Our pickle process is taken from the traditional methods of pickling and mixed with some modernization so each jar is appealing visually and the taste is uniform. Just about everything at Uncle IceBergs is made by hand! This brings me to the specialty sauces. Our Chimichurri has been one of the most popular products and usually fly off the shelves when we broadcast a fresh batch. Again it’s the process of how we make this sauce, from hand cleaning the parsley to picking of leaves to the mixing. Very labor intensive but you see and taste the love that goes into each jar. So, most know that we specialize in spicy foods products but we’ve also launched a line of non-spicy or Not Hawt! We feel that our products can and should be enjoyed by all. If you like it Hawt then you’ll find something tasty and if heat isn’t your friend, then we have Not Hawt!
I feel that we have something special which is why we just also launched our pickle classes. mostly done in person, it’s about a 60-90 minute class and ‘students’ will learn about the pickling process origin, cutting techniques, label design and leave with a jar of their very own pickles or pickled vegetables.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Wouldn’t it be nice if every entrepreneur’s road was smooth and stable!
The Uncle Icebergs brand started back in 2010, selling our goods mostly by word of mouth but we saw the need to expand into other marketplaces so we did some research and began to attend various farmer’s markets. That was a good start and during that time the food truck scene was beginning to take off so we ventured out and began making relationships with the various mobile kitchens attending the largest farmers market (at that time) in South Orange County. During this same time, I was holding down a full-time position with another company and juggled the two for the next few years. We had gotten the Hawt Sauce onto some of the local trucks, gotten placement on some of the smaller grocery stores and even met with a company that could help us get placement in Costco and even with all that going on, orders were not coming in as we expected.
Aside from maintaining a 9-5 and running the Uncle Icebergs in the evening and on weekends, we had our first, then second, and then a third son. Prior to 2019 and pre-pandemic, I took some time off from the 9-5 and began pushing the Hawt Products will all my effort. But out of left field, a global pandemic hit which caused some disruption but towards the end of 2019 business began to pick back up and 2020 we saw an increase and record numbers. Seeing this happen I knew we had something special and 2021 was a year to work on seed money to build the business the way “we” wanted to. 2022 saw tremendous growth and we’ve not looked back. Nowadays we’re moving along and have begun to make videos, we launched our classes, and the subscription service is launching soon! Of course, we’re still learning, growing, and experiencing all the ups and downs many business owners face but this is my dream and with the full support of my family, our Hawt Products will grow and evolve.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Uncle Icebergs Hawt Products is a specialty sauce and pickle house. We love taking non-traditional and putting our spin on that item.
What I’m most proud of?
My family for one. They are the reason that this business started, grew, and is now thriving. Plus I’m proud of what we’ve learned from starting this journey. Another thing are the milestones we’ve reached. It’s taught me much about the psychology of achievement and it’s been a valuable lesson to show my sons firsthand.
What sets us apart from others?
My grandfather and grandmother’s early teachings. I used to watch my grandfather take so much pride in what he did, day in and day out. His work ethic was unmatched. My grandmother sparked the initial culinary fire that still burns today. she would teach me about the importance of culture and tradition, both of which I applied to our line of products and that is what sets us apart. You’ll see and taste the passion in each Hawt Product.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
That is a good question, one that really had me thinking about the future. I love this company and the plan for now is to continue investing back into all that we’ve built. This year we’re focusing on the recent addition of our pickling classes, and there are plans to begin offering them to schools in the K12 space! In five years so much happens and we’d like to still be making our Hawt Products and have the process automated via our website, plus a retail line. In ten years, that’s an easy one. I’ve always wanted to open a Kosher Style Deli that has a bakery and catering kitchen! This has been a dream for quite some time and if I work hard enough it shouldn’t take 10 years, that’s far too long to wait for a good pastrami sandwich.
Pricing:
- Most items are below $12
- Small Trio of Hawt Sauces – $10
- Chimichurri – $8
- Pickles. – $8
Contact Info:
- Website: www.uncleicebergs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncleicebergs/
- Facebook: facebook.com/uncleicebergs
Image Credits
Laura Buchanan
