Fox Valley Magazine and Kanecountyconnects
The sixth annual “Makers Madness” contest is back, giving the public the power to decide which product earns the title of Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.
And among the more than 250 nominees is a St. Charles treasure, sauce-creator extraordinaire and retailer Gindo’s Spice of Life.
Gindo’s has been featured in a variety of national and local news outlets, including Fox Valley Magazine’s own Justa Couple Guys podcast last year, when owners Chris and Mary Ginder sat down with co-hosts Ray Rogina and Pat Crimmins to discuss their remarkable success.
“I had always toyed around with spicy foods,” Chris, a chef, said when asked how the idea for Gindo’s was born. “It was always a passion of mine. I don’t know, the whole idea just found us, I think.”
“We had this little apartment in West Hollywood and always liked to have people over to grill out and entertain,”Mary adds, “and we were making a sauce that we made from these peppers that we grew on our little balcony and he (Chris) made a sauce with sea salt and the peppers and everybody loved it.”
“I wondered why nobody was making hot sauces with using all farm-fresh ingredients. I went to the hot sauce store a realized that nobody was doing that.”
Founded in 2011, Gindo’s distribution is now nationwide and its renown has grown to the point where top chefs and foodies have used their flavor profiles to create award-winning creations in their home kitchen or restaurants.
To vote for Gindo’s Spice of Life for “Collest Thing Made In Illinois,” go to https://makersmadnessil.com. Voting is open online, and the public can vote up to five times a day until March 16, with the top 16 finalists announced on March 18. A bracket-style tournament will then determine the winner, leading up to the awards ceremony on April 9 at the Governor’s mansion.
While Gindo’s distribution is nationwide, Grindo’s flagship retail outlet is located at Gindo’s Saucery & Shop, 2002 W Main St., Suite P, in St Charles. For more information, visit https://gindos.com.
