Small Axe Peppers
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food production |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | John A. Crotty, Chef King Phojanakong, Daniel Fitzgerald |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Bronx, Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Oakland, Seattle, Los Angeles |
| Products | Hot sauce |
Small Axe Peppers is a New York City-based producer of hot sauce that sources its peppers from community gardens participating in its initiatives. Established in 2014 by John A. Crotty, Chef King Phojanakong, and Daniel Fitzgerald, the enterprise collaborates with non-profit organizations such as GrowNYC and Bronx Green-Up to promote urban farming.[1]
Annually, Small Axe supplies thousands of serrano pepper seedlings to more than 40 community gardens throughout the Bronx. These seedlings are distributed by GrowNYC, and once the peppers are harvested, Small Axe purchases the mature produce to craft its hot sauces.[2]
During its inaugural year, the business contributed 3,500 seedlings and produced 5,000 bottles of hot sauce using 150 pounds of peppers cultivated in Bronx gardens like Morning Glory and Kelly Street. By 2015, production had scaled up to 30,000 bottles derived from 750 pounds of peppers.[3] The following year, harvests increased to 1,500 pounds, resulting in 70,000 bottles of sauce.[2]
In 2018 and 2019, Small Axe further extended its engagement by purchasing 1,500 pounds of peppers from 30 Bronx gardens and donating 1,800 seedlings. By 2020, the company expanded its sourcing network to include community gardens in cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Oakland, Seattle, and Los Angeles.[4]
Awards and recognition
Small Axe Peppers earned the Good Food Award in 2017 for its Bronx Hot Sauce. The brand also gained notable visibility through Sean Evans' YouTube series Hot Ones, which featured Bronx Hot Sauce in its fifth season and Chicago Hot Sauce during the tenth season. Evans described the Bronx Hot Sauce as “perhaps the most delicious sauce we’ve ever featured on this program.”