Courtesy of Sir Kensington's
Atlantans value their fair trade coffee, locally-sourced produce, and free range animals, so why can’t we show that same love to our condiments?
During a recent lunch at the Optimist, I came across a bottle of Sir Kensington’s Ketchup, for which the logo is a man wearing a top-hat and sporting a monocle and a handlebar mustache. Perhaps in another life, he sold peanuts. When I asked about the ketchup, our waiter explained that it is all-natural, vegetarian-friendly and contains no GMOs. It’s also made from cane sugar, as opposed to high fructose corn syrup, and has substantially less sodium than a brand like Heinz. Artisan ketchup, indeed.
A surprisingly large number of restaurants in Atlanta use Sir Kensington’s. Places like Watershed, Murphy’s, The Spence, JCT Kitchen, and Parish. Kensington’s also makes mayonnaise and spiced ketchup, which you can order online here. Retail stores like The Fresh Market sell it.
While researching Sir Kensington’s and calling various Atlanta restaurants, I came across another quality product used in kitchens. Based out of Kentucky, Bourbon Barrel Foods re-purposes bourbon barrels to make soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and even spices like paprika and sugar. These products are vegetarian-friendly, and after being fermented, settled, or smoked, they taste ever so faintly of bourbon. Chocolate South and Cook’s Warehouse in Midtown carry a number of Bourbon Barrel products. A full list of retailers can be found here.
