Courtesy The Midwestern
Ben Welch, executive chef and managing partner at The Midwestern Meat & Drink (and formerly chef/owner of Big Baby Q and Smokehouse) today announced he’s going into retail with the launch of a spice rub. Welch says he expects the Love Rub, the first product to be released by his Big Baby Spice Co. brand, to hit the shelves in September.
The Love Rub is the traditional barbecue spice rub that’s been a feature of his cooking from the Big Baby Q days, Welch says. He carried it over to The Midwestern, where he uses it on pork, turkey and wings.
“It's sweet. It's earthy. It finishes with just a hint of heat, then dissipates to sweet again,” Welch says. “People keep asking when can they get it, so I just thought I’d come up with this.”
Courtesy Ben Welch
Welch teamed up with food-service vendor Kuna and manufacturer Baron Spices & Seasonings to bring the rub to market. Welch expects it will be shipped in the next two to three weeks. It will be available at The Midwestern, and Welch plans to sell it through Amazon.
“I’ll start very grassroots,” he says. “I'm lucky enough that The Midwestern has offered to help me sell it, but we also use the product here, so it's a win-win.”
Pricing hasn’t been finalized yet, but Welch expects that a 5 ¾-ounce package will cost around $7.
If the rub is well-received, Welch hopes to release additional products before year's end. “I'm going to start with what you can actually buy and eat at the restaurant,” he says.
The next addition will likely be Welch’s pastrami or brisket rub, he says. “I'll probably do a poll on Facebook or something and ask people which one they want first,” he says. Longer term, he says, the line could grow to include other seasonings, such as a Cajun spice blend, a breakfast potato spice mix, and, eventually, barbecue sauces.
For updates, follow @big_baby_spice_co or @benwelch35 on Instagram.
