Today we’d like to introduce you to Keith Lorren.
Keith, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Growing up, I’d always hear the stories of my great grandfather Gene Johnson from my grandmother. She would tell me of his famous restaurant in St Augustine, Florida and of all of his success. during a time where people of color were marginalized, he thrived and had one of the most popular restaurants. Famous celebrities like Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Rosemary Clooney, and Bing Crosby would fly all the way to Florida just to dine on his finger licking southern cuisine. My grandmother would often prepare his signature dishes and the flavors inspired me to begin my own culinary journey.
Ever since elementary school, I was fascinated with spices, playing with them and mixing concoctions for friends and family. the word spread and I were hired by restaurants to develop signature recipes and desserts for them and were able to pay for college. After I Graduated Business College I packed my suitcase full of my spice mixes and went on a culinary conquest in Japan to experience the foreign cuisine and decide my career path. I ended up cooking for hundreds of people throughout Osaka, Tokyo Ibaraki, and Yokohama. Everyone went crazy over the flavors of my food and opened opportunities for me to attend one of the best culinary schools in the world at Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park NY, cook all over the world in countries like The United Arab Emirates, Greece, China, for major companies like Food Network, Cooking Channel, Travel Channel, and NBC’s Today Show to name a few . As 2018 approaches, Keith Lorren Spices will be sold in over 10,000 stores including Stop & Shop, Big Y World Class Markets, Publix, and Albertsons. my personal goal is to make peoples lives taste better in every country in the world through the distribution of our spices.
I am also working with Green Roads, the world’s premier supplier of CBD cannabinoids to develop a line of food products that are infused with CBD and Cannabis flavors.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The major obstacle most people face when growing a company is funding. When I began my spice company In 2012, I was mixing spices in my college dorm room and mailing them out in ziplock bags. As the orders increased I had to figure out a way to professionally manufacturer the products on a larger scale, marketing the products through cooking videos online while still in culinary school, all while handling the expenses of EVERYTHING.
Now that we are in supermarket stores the problems we face are financing growth and keeping up with the marketing in the ever-changing social media world. I’ve also had to navigate the turbulent, predatory loan shark invested waters and pitfalls of business financing but am confident that we will continue to triumphant success and international growth
Please tell us about Keith Lorren Spices.
I am known for making the best tasting spices and sauces. in my travels throughout the Middle East and Asia, working alongside spice merchants and perfume makers, I’ve pioneered manufacturing techniques that infuse spices with aromatic essential oils, trace minerals, and the perfect ratios that deliver flavors 10 times more flavor than traditional companies. What sets us apart is flavor perfection. each one of our spice blends is the equivalent of using a cabinet full of spices. the average Keith Lorren Spice blend contains over 14 herbs and spices all layered in the perfect ratios for perfect taste every time. Our blends are designed for specific dishes and ethnic flavor profiles.
Our products include:
Ethiopian Berbere
Jamaican Jerk
Caribbean Curry
Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce
Country bbq Rub & Sauce
Beef Stew & Oxtail
Gourmet Seafood
Gourmet Poultry
Grilled Steak & Burger
Collard Green Seasoning
Gourmet All Purpose, and many others
I am most proud of the technology and research we’ve put into crafting our food products. They deliver amazing taste!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I’m not sure we’d do much differently. In our 5 years in business, we’ve had tremendous success and television exposure. if I could do it all again, I would have saved more money to make more video content and sponsor more chefs to try out our products
Contact Info:
- Website: www.KeithLorren.com
- Phone: 800-906-7514
- Email: keithlorrenorders@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keith_lorren/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Keith-Lorrens-Seasonings-230781123600454/
- Twitter: https://www.amazon.com/keith-lorren/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Akeith%20lorren
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/keithcookstv
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