California Habanero Blends was started by Tim Sharkey in 2007 and is located in Northern California in the small town of Chico. Tim’s decision to create CHB products came from him wanting a hot sauce that he liked. Being a hot sauce fan his whole life, he was always getting bottles of hot sauce on his birthdays and at Christmas. Most of what he was given looked good but did not deliver in taste, flavor or consistency.  So, Tim started to empty out the gift bottles and make small batches of his own hot sauce creations. Soon batches were getting larger, and friends and family would ask for more. Next thing Tim knew he was making gallons of sauces at a time, and that was the signal it was time to start selling.

California Habenero Blends has been a family adventure from the start and continues on this way today. Our family is fortunate in many ways, but most significantly it is a large family and it is rich in Hispanic tradition dating back before the Mexican-American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo. Our foods convey the spirit of the kitchens of our youth, which were full of love and the aroma of fresh foods being traditionally prepared. Our sauces represent that family kitchen experience and the abundance of rich, full flavors and fresh, quality ingredients. Food that not only has great flavor but great spirit!

The process that we used to create the sauces was a time tested family approach of trial and error. We put together our favorite flavors and aromas and began preparing our food with the same spirit we had learned in those kitchens of our youth. Along the way, we learned that the essence of food has as much to do with the people you experience it with as it does with what you are eating. And although sitting around a kitchen tasting homemade hot sauces until your brain melts sounds glamorous, it was not at all a perfect science. However, it was always fun. Moreover, there is something inherently satisfying about a flush bright red face, a few salty tears, a bead of sweat running down your temple and knowing that the person next to you is experiencing the exact same sensation. That’s truly what family is for.

The process we have used to create the company has followed along the same lines. Family input into marketing and sales strategies has guided the company into becoming a solid incorporated business now in expansion mode. In 2008, Tim’s brother Thomas Sharkey came into the business to help with sales. And, in 2009, Tim’s cousin Vanessa

Espinoza came into the business to direct finances, customer service, and inventory procedures.

So, through much trial, error, sweat and tears, we finally found a perfect balance of colors, flavors, and aromas that are hot but do not assault the senses or detract from the flavor intended. Look closely at our products and you will see wholesome fresh ingredients that give them outstanding consistency, texture and appearance as well as phenomenal flavor. Our sauces are delicious with breakfast, lunch, or dinner and can be used as marinades for beef, pork, poultry or fish. They can be used as dipping sauces or as condiments on tacos and burritos, sandwiches, and soups. They are especially delicious on eggs at breakfast. We sincerely hope you find as much pleasure in our sauces as we do, and that they enhance your dining experience as much as they have ours!

Best wishes,

The California Habenero Blends Family