Skip to main content

Introducing the World’s First Sustainable Sauce Company, AWSM Sauce

Humans use about 1.2 million plastic bottles per minute, according to the Earth Day nonprofit. Approximately 91% of that plastic is not recycled. AWSM Sauce co-founders Paul Lehmann and Carl Starkey are aiming to change that, one powdered sauce packet at a time.

Their solution was a line of powder-based sauces and condiments with tasty ingredient mixes that can be mixed in reusable and compostable bottles. Right now, the AWSM sauce line features ketchup, honey hickory BBQ, and Chesapeake fire sauce.

A man's arm dips a chicken tender into AWSM ketchup.
AWSM Sauce.

AWSM is not only an acronym for the new powdered condiment company, it stands as a pillar of its conception — Avoid Waste, Season Meaningfully. Claiming to be the world’s first guilt-free sauce brand, AWSM delivers sweet and savory condiment ingredients to consumer doors for convenient and eco-conscious access to condiments. Instead of adding to the world’s waste, AWSM sauces come with reusable glass jars in which to mix premixed powder packets and water to deliver well-received condiments. The entrepreneurs are hoping to hit a home run while changing wasteful consumption patterns at the same time. As thousands of Minnesota fans who have already enjoyed AWSM Sauce at Target Field, their flavors rival traditional competitors.

Research estimates that between 30 and 50 percent of the total amount of food thrown away comes from home kitchens. When AWSM founders realized this, they also saw the stark reality of their own impact by simply observing their kitchen cabinets and refrigerators. Surrounded by single-use plastic bottles, the two dads did what great innovators do when faced with a problem: turn it into an opportunity.

With two decades of grilling under their belts, Starkey and Lehmann went about revolutionizing the way condiments are packaged. After countless hours of commiserating at all hours of the night and months of trying out recipes in the test kitchen, the duo was able to develop a patent-pending “powder-to-pour” technology. Then, they went about selling it.

AWSM Sauce powder packets.
AWSM Sauce.

One of their first and most significant wins was being selected by the Twins/Techstars accelerator in 2020. As one of 10 companies funded to work at the intersection of technology, sports, and entertainment, the AWSM sauce startup received three months of mentorship and workshops in addition to investment dollars.

These AWSM Sauce founders are aiming to split sales between the direct-to-consumer and business-to-business sides, aiming to work with restaurants, stadiums, and venues to not only reduce the cost of shipping but cut back on the amount of plastic they use in packaging.

AWSM home purchasers, however, shouldn’t feel any guilt about getting the condiments delivered to their door. By purchasing sauce powder packets and replacing single-use plastics, people can reduce the amount of plastic used per sauce bottle by 95%. This is not only a helpful step, it’s a critical step in looking at the dire amount of non-biodegradable waste people put in the environment every year. The amount of annual plastic produced is roughly the same as the entire weight of humanity. Roughly half of that global plastic production is destined to be a single-use product.

AWSM Sauce also cuts out the massive amount of water needed to produce ‘wet’ condiments. Powder packets only require water when they’re ready to be made.

Lehmann and Starkey are so confident about their product that they’re willing to send out free samples to taste before shoppers take the full dive into AWSM Sauce. It’s an easy step to make: fill out a form and take a single, significant step towards shaping a more sustainable consumer world.

Shop Now

Editors' Recommendations

Matthew Denis
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Matt Denis is an on-the-go remote multimedia reporter, exploring arts, culture, and the existential in the Pacific Northwest…
The Macallan, Bentley serve up a single malt Scotch whisky worth more than a car
The Macallan and Bentley mean luxury
The Macallan

When it comes to luxury, The Macallan and Bentley are two of the biggest names in the world. While one is a single malt Scotch whisky brand and one is a car company, they both carry a certain, fancy weight. It only makes sense that the two brands would collaborate for a special bottle of Scotch whisky. This is likely because a whisky-powered car is more science fiction than reality.
What does the new whisky look like?

It's called The Macallan Horizon, and its bottle was created in collaboration with British automobile brand Bentley Motors. It was designed to meld the worlds of single malt scotch whisky and the sleek, elegant car brand. The result is a horizontal (hence the name) bottle crafted with a breathtaking 180-degree twist.

Read more
Forget wine — Beer and cheese is an unbeatable combination
Put the corkscrew away and crack open a cold one
Beer and cheese

When one hears the term cheese pairings, wine is the beverage that most often comes to mind, we'd wager. Because, of course, it is. The pairing of wine and cheese is as classic a coupling as peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, or chocolate and strawberries. They're meant to be together. But that certainly doesn't mean that wine is the only adult beverage that can dance an alluring tango alongside everyone's favorite dairy product. Beer, as humble as its reputation can be, is also a beautiful balance to cheese's immense offering of flavors. While some may think of beer as not being as multi-dimensional and varied in its palate-pleasing capabilities as wine, this is not the case - especially now that we live in a world with so many exquisite craft beers, stouts, and lagers.
Of course, another classic accompaniment to cheese is bread or crackers. Why might that be, one might ask. Is it because we're simply in need of a starchy vessel to usher the cheese into our mouths? The answer is actually a bit deeper than that. Starches like bread and crackers are made from the same yeasty ingredients as beer, so their pairing makes perfect culinary sense.
This isn't to say, though, that one can simply pick up a hunk of cheddar and crack open a Budweiser and expect culinary artistry. The science is a bit more nuanced than that, so we're here to help you find the best pairings for your favorite beers and cheeses.

How to pair beer and cheese

Read more
Mijenta has a new cristalino tequila — here’s why bourbon fans will love it
Mijenta has a cristalino tequila perfect for bourbon drinkers
Mijenta Cristalino

If you’re new to tequila, you might not know all the terms. Even if you’re just a beginner, you probably know all about blanco, reposado, añejo, and maybe even joven. But chances are, you’re not familiar with Cristalino tequila. This reasonably contemporary style is simply añejo tequila that’s been charcoal filtered to remove its natural caramel color and various impurities.

The style is more than just a little popular. It’s actually the fastest growing style of tequila according to Nielsen data. The newest brand to get in on the Cristalino trend is Mijenta.

Read more