About Us
Brian's Story
TL;DR Version: I was born to combine and blend flavors you wouldn’t expect to blend. They are good. You will like them.
More Detailed Version: The biggest endorphin rush for me is making people happy. I also like to push boundaries, which I mean in the best sense. Did you know our tastebuds change every 7 years? What we don’t like one day, we may like the next.
Cliché as it may sound, watching someone enjoy flavors they never occurred to combine let alone enjoy gives me this rush of excitement and satisfaction. And I’ve been doing it since I was like 4.
Some of my earliest memories were running around at big parties where there was a boar on a spit (once, it was a bear!). Whatever my uncles and dad hunted, they cooked. They’d invite the whole community for what became known as Fat Eddie’s Parties.
They were glorious. And I’d be mixing up the condiments, encouraging people to try my sauce concoctions. You might say things haven’t changed all that much — except I use more ingredients in much better ways. I can’t wait to share them with you.
Enough about me. Let’s talk about how B.T. Leigh’s came about ...
In 2012, my then-girlfriend Jenny wanted a grill. We went to the store and bought this little, tiny thing. Within 2 hours of setting it up, I’d turned it into a smoker.
We grilled a brisket. Looking back, it was probably the worst brisket I’ve ever made, but it rekindled my desire to spend more time in the kitchen.
My friends loved when I cooked for them. Pretty soon, they wanted to buy the sauces I was making. Then their families wanted to buy them. The next thing I know, I’m catering graduation parties.
I married Jenny, and we gave away little sauce jars at our wedding. (I once referred to this as the official B.T. Leigh’s launch. As you can imagine, it was poor choice of words.)
She convinced me to move from Ohio to Kentucky. We set up shop, and on Cinco de Mayo 2018, we sold at our first farmer’s market.
B.T. Leigh’s was here to stay.
We’ve branched out beyond traditional BBQ flavors into sauces and spice blends that defy categories and have been honored by some of the highest awards in the industry.
B.T. Leigh’s can be found in stores in 34 states as well as in the United Kingdom and Honduras. We welcome wholesale orders.
New flavor combinations are always in the works, and there are plans to expand into other avenues. Create, taste, refine. This is the process we use to bring you flavors unrestrained. Nothing comes to you until we’re sure it’s ready.
We feel like we’re just getting started, and we hope you come along for the ride.
Speaking of rides, be sure to catch me on the PBS / PBS Food show The Great American Recipe.
Recipes
Dec 30, 2022
Surprise Wedding Mac & Cheese
Sep 30, 2022
Southern Style Chicken & Dumplings
Sep 29, 2022
Balsamic Herb Pork Loin
Sep 28, 2022