Meet Russ Bruhn of Carlsbad Gourmet

Today we’d like to introduce you to Russ Bruhn.

Russ, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When my son Jordan was nine (9) years old, he was playing Carlsbad Youth Baseball and we were playing in a Good Will Baseball Tournament with a team from Kauai, Hawaii here at Chase Field here in Carlsbad, CA. During player introductions, the team from Kauai presented our Carlsbad Team with a gift bag of branded items from Kauai. Including, Macadamia Nuts, Kauai Cookies, Hawaii Decals and Hawaiian Sun Pineapple-Papaya Jam. After the game started a couple Team Moms and myself scoured the Village of Carlsbad in search of something to give back from Carlsbad, CA. In our amazement there was no items available from Carlsbad. That’s when I mentioned to one of the Team Moms that we should at least have something made out of Strawberries being that we have the Carlsbad is known for their You Pick strawberries.

Later that evening, I was doing some online research on California Strawberries when I learned that over 80% of the Strawberries in the Nation are from California. The Warm Sunny Days and cool foggy nights provide the perfect environment for growing the Richest Most Flavorful Strawberries around. I went to the fancy Food Show in San Francisco looking for Strawberry Products and discovered that there was none. I found the Perfect Pear, items made out of pears, The Stinking Rose, items made out of garlic…. But no Strawberry themed products. I was amazed because Strawberries are the Number one liked fruit. They are the symbol of Venus, the goddess of LOVE because of their heart shape and Red color.

I hired a food scientist and she taught me the basics for food production and how to manufacture on a large scale using co-packers. My very first product was my Strawberry Spread. We call it a spread because to be considered a jam, jelly or preserve you have to use 55% sugar and 45% fruit.

We use a lot less sugar in our products and that’s why we call them a spread. I do a lot of taste testing and today, I create all of my recipes on computer before I go into the kitchen because it allows me gauge the sweet, salty, sour and savory flavor of the recipe.

I started out doing Farmer’s Markets and the Armstrong Garden Center, next to the Flower Fields, was the first retail store to sell Carlsbad Gourmet products. I was driving a suburban back then and would unload the boys sporting gear, load up Carlsbad Gourmet products and canopy and go to the Farmer’s Market and then unload the Carlsbad Gourmet products and load up the sporting equipment. I ended up buying a 1965 Chevy Van for the Farmers Markets. It was fun pulling up in the van and selling my products. We also operate a fresh strawberry shakes and sundaes stand at Armstrong Garden Center there during Flower Field Season March thru Mid-May.

Business is Booming. We make a Strawberry Honey Mustard Salad Dressing, Strawberry Hot Sauce, Roasted Strawberry Chipotle Sauce, Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar, and a Strawberry Spread which is served on every Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich at Legoland – California.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I am half Hawaiian and I would tell my boys that Carlsbad Gourmet is like a Hawaiian boy fishing on the beach in Hawaii. Where the Hawaiian boy would cut bamboo, and make a fishing pole, Make the hook out of a shell, then cast the fishing line in the ocean and while watching that line, make another bamboo fishing pole with shell hook and cast away. And keep repeating until you have as many fishing poles in the ocean as you can watch. One of two things will happen… Either you will catch a lot of fish or one day you may catch a whale and eat forever……….

I would say that we have had our smooth roads and bumpy roads. We were featured on The Food Network in 2009. Sold products to Costco, Sprouts, Cost Plus, Walmart, Whole Foods, Vons, Albertson’s, Pavilions, The Fresh Market and so on. We’ve lost accounts along the way and gained accounts along the way.

When I was selling my products at Farmers Markets, I would think that I’m not going to make it selling one bottle at a time; I needed to sell cases, pallets, truckloads… Today, we have a warehouse with a forklift for loading trucks.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Carlsbad Gourmet story. Tell us more about the business.
After the Baseball tournament with Kauai, Hawaii Jordan was playing Pop Warner Football and one of the assistant coaches was Mike Hinckley, owner of Green Flash Brewing Co., I wanted to develop a BBQ sauce made with one of Green Flash beers. We decided on the Ruby Red Ale and created the Ruby Red Strawberry BBQ Sauce. I showed the NEW BBQ Sauce to Gina at Marsaglia of Pizza Port while enjoying a beer and she asked if we could make a Pizza Port BBQ Sauce. Thus, was born the Carlsbad Chronic BBQ Sauce. I then spoke with Stone Brewing Company and have been a licensed partner with Stone Brewing Company Then the craft beer industry turned the corner and we caught the coattails. Currently we make 14 products for Stone.

Carlsbad Gourmet will be opening an all-San Diego local pop-up shop starting Black Friday through the end of December at three local malls. The North County Mall, located in Escondido, University Town Center (UTC), located in La Jolla, and the Shops at Carlsbad, in Carlsbad, will all be home to this unique shop comprised of over ten local businesses. This is the ideal shopping experience for San Diegans wanting to support small & local businesses, while checking off Holiday shopping gift lists! This is the fifth year this pop-up shop has been in place, and is growing with size.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
My brother always says I’m lucky but when Opportunity knocks, I just open the door…

I was extremely LUCKY to have two (2) boys Tyler and Jordan Bruhn. Tyler was 11 and Jordan was 9 years old when I started Carlsbad Gourmet.

They were both involved in the company from day one. I took them out of school the day we made our very first strawberry purchase for our very first batch of Strawberry Spread. They both helped at street fairs, farmers markets and other events. Now that they are over 21 years old, they can attend local beer fests with me also. They are both instrumental in the business today. Tyler handles our large accounts as account managing and Jordan handles sales distribution for Carlsbad Gourmet. I couldn’t do it without them They know what to do without any instructions.

Pricing:

• Tangerine Express IPA BBQ Sauce – $7.00
• Tangerine Express IPA Hot Sauce – $6.00

Contact Info:

• Website: carlsbadgourmet.com
• Phone: 760-730-3423
• Email: carlsbadgourmet@yahoo.com

Image Credit:
Don Wyman Photography

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