Joe Dill, founder of Scarlet’s Fire Specialty Foods, had one big dream in mind when he started the brand: bringing peppers to the people. Dill, along with the help of Blackwell “Blacky” Smith, a professional chef and owner of Blacksmith’s Bistro and Bar in St. Elmo, have created a line of salsas and hummus inspired by fresh and local ingredients. What started as a hobby for Dill has evolved into a full-time family business. Dill’s wife, Jodi, along with their two children, Sophie, 7, and Jacob, 10, help with the marketing side of the business. Smith, who is co-owner of the company, oversees production.
Dill started a career in the food business after losing his job as an investment advisor due to the failing economy. He had a decision to make: to start a job hunt for positions open in the financial market or start marketing his recipes. With support and encouragement from his wife, he decided to start focusing on building the brand Scarlet’s Fire.
For years, Dill made his salsa and hummus recipes for friends and family. He was always experimenting with flavors and ingredients, but felt he needed professional guidance. In late March of 2009, Dill brought a mason jar filled with Scarlet’s Fire Salsa to Smith and asked for his advice. Inspired, the two worked together in Blacksmith’s kitchen to create distinct flavors and ingredients for a line of products.
Dill and Smith share the same philosophy on the importance of using fresh ingredients and local produce. “The average produce you get in the store travels 700 miles before it ends up on your table,” says Smith. “Much of what we use is grown in a 50-mile radius.”
Smith emphasizes the importance of nutrition and taste in the individuality of his product. “It’s a fresh – not cooked – salsa,” he says. “Everything is made in small four-gallon batches, and machinery use is minimal; that way you can really taste the individual ingredients in each bite.”
According to Dill, the biggest struggle the business faced was marketing their product to Chattanooga consumers. The brand needed a logo. Dill and his family brainstormed ideas for a product label. The idea came to him when he saw his son’s drawing of a pepper character. From that moment on, Scarlet’s Fire Salsa had a logo - Peppy the Pepper.
Smith first sold his product at Crabtree Farms’ spring plant sale. He only sold two products at that time: the original Scarlet’s Fire Salsa and Chipotle Humina Humina Hummus. “The consumer response was so overwhelmingly positive,” he recalls.
At that point, Dill decided to try and market his salsa and hummus to local grocery stores. In April of 2009, he brought two cases of his products to Greenlife Grocery; within four days, the store had sold out of the salsa and hummus and wanted more.
Scarlet’s Fire has since expanded their product line and increased the locations where the products are sold. They sell two 16-ounce spicy pepper sauces: Boo-yah Smoked Chipotle and a fresh habanero sauce called The Green Monster. Additionally, the company sells two hummus varieties: Chipotle Humina Humina Hummus and Banzai Samurai Wasabi Hummus. The original Scarlet’s Fire Salsa now has a new flavor, Habanero Burnin Love, with an added kick.
Scarlet’s Fire Specialty Foods are sold locally at Greenlife Grocery, The Fresh Market, The Chattanooga Market and Blacksmith’s Bistro and Bar.
Dill is excited about how fast his products have caught the attention of Chattanooga consumers. He hopes in the next 10 years to market and sell his products to whole food stores all around the country.
As the company grows, Jodi Dill says it is important to their family to give back to the community. Along with contributing a percentage of sales to local charities, the company has a commitment to public service.
Dill was able to overcome the obstacles of unemployment by following his dream. The business has become more successful with help from his family and the company’s co-owner, Smith. Scarlet’s Fire Specialty Foods continues to develop new recipes, and the owners look forward to more success in Chattanooga and beyond.