It is easy to put the name of a state on packaging. Earning a meaningful connection to a place takes considerably more work.
Zombie Spice Rub has been rooted in Colorado since 2006. We meet cooks, retail buyers, farmers, and other makers who each have their own view of what good food should do. Those relationships help us understand where our blends belong and where we need to improve.
Show up after the introduction
A local partnership cannot be measured only by whether a buyer agrees to carry a jar. It also depends on answering questions, supporting the people who recommend it, and being willing to hear when something is not working.
Farmers markets offer an immediate version of that exchange. Somebody tastes a blend and tells you exactly what they would put it on. Somebody else tells you why they would not. Both comments can be useful if you pay attention.
Pride comes with obligations
Colorado is full of people making food, running shops, and building businesses without unlimited resources. They still care about doing the work well. We recognize that standard because we are trying to meet it ourselves.
Our ambition is to reach cooks well beyond Colorado. The lessons we learn working locally should make us better partners everywhere.
If you have a favorite independent Colorado food business, tell somebody why it deserves a visit. Discovery starts there.