A Remarkable Couple

My grandparents Felton and Mary were a remarkable couple with a gift for hospitality. For nearly 20 years they ran Portland’s most beloved BBQ restaurants in SE Portland. In their home and in their celebrated barbecue restaurant, they loved to cook and serve meals for a crowd. They appreciated high quality ingredients and used only the best, which is why their food tasted so much better than other people’s. When I was growing up my grandparents had a vegetable garden in their yard where they grew tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and herbs. They had a big smoker in back, and plenty of space for friends and family to gather. My grandfather was a storyteller; he loved to spin a good yarn. My grandmother was a good listener; you could tell her anything. They both just loved people. Together, they could make every occasion a celebration.

Felton and Mary’s barbecue joint wasn’t just any restaurant; it was more like a home. It was where Felton experimented with spices and flavorings. Where Mary greeted every customer like a long-lost friend. It was a place where someone down on their luck always had a place to stay and a job washing dishes until they got on their feet. A place where the customers called them ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad,’ and where they made and served the best brisket, pork ribs, collard greens and peach cobbler found anywhere.

Smokey Brown Sugar

A sweet and savory blend of brown sugar, natural hickory seasoning and molasses, this magical sauce turns a mere barbecue into a celebration. Subtle yet tangy, mild yet exciting, it transforms every dish from ho-hum to crowd pleaser.

Bringing Back A Beloved BBQ Staple

As a third generation Campbell I’ve decided that the best way to honor Felton and Mary and their legacy was by producing some of their treasured recipes and sharing them with the public. These time-honored recipes have been locked away for nearly a decade. Now we want to give a whole new generation of BBQ fans the opportunity to enjoy them starting with our three BBQ sauces and eventually our signature meat rub.

Over the last nine months we’ve begun a partnership with New Seasons Markets and have been featured as a local "find" company. We’ve produced a batch of our BBQ sauces under their brand label. We’ve also received public acknowledgment and love from the Mayor of Portland, Charlie Hales. But our proudest accomplishment has been reconnecting with old customers from the barbecue restaurant, whose loyalty has driven our promising initial sales at New Seasons.

Medium Barbecue Sauce

You fall in love with this jazzy sauce, which Felton and Mary used in their cooking when they needed to spice things up. Try it on grilled vegetables and smoked salmon, or with curry dishes. Its sophisticated flavor goes well with more than just BBQ and adds pizazz to every dish.

For every pledge over $50, Felton & Mary’s will include a sample of our signature BBQ spice rub in your box: a 2oz taster of salty goodness to elevate your next BBQ to the next level!

Additionally, for all of you locavores out there: anyone in the Portland area that is willing to pick up their pledge, we will offer a free bottle of BBQ sauce! Shipping these tasty bottles is a big expense, so this is a win-win for all parties! Simply enter this in the order comments and we will be in contact towards delivery time.

We Need Your Help

It’s been an amazing journey so far, but we can’t stop here, not when we have a whole world that needs to enjoy these artisanal food products. In order to produce and ship the first batch of branded Felton and Mary’s sauces with our own labels, we have to raise enough to pay for the cost of the first run’s production, the build out of our online store, and back end fulfillment processes.

One of my grandfather’s favorite sayings was “Many hands make light work”. It will take many hands to bring these treasured products back into your life or into your life for the very first time, but if we all pitch in, the work will be light. By contributing to our campaign you can become a part of Felton & Mary’s family. Will join us? Because we will need your help.

Hot Barbecue Sauce

Not for the faint of heart, but for those who want to be rewarded with intense heat, and amazing flavor. This fierce sauce will send your tastebuds on a crazy but entirely legal joy ride that will leave you breathless, hot under the collar and begging for more.

Manufacturing Plan

Our labels are designed and ready to send off to our printer, Westmark. If we’re able to reach the goal before the end date we will speed this part of the process up otherwise this is my first step towards producing the products. We’ve worked with them in the past and feel comfortable with Westmark as a partner.

Secondly we have a co-packer, Paradigm Foodworks, that will be making and bottling this run. They are tried and true in the industry and we are comfortable with the process and their capability to deliver. They will need a 2-3 week notice with a purchase order and can then make it on a specified date and have it ready for pick up within 24 hours of that date. We plan on picking up the order and either mailing out the orders or setting up local pick up times.

Risks and Challenges

Most of the work has been done. The recipe is just right and we are confident in our co-packer’s ability to make these sauces just as Felton and Mary did. The biggest challenge is spreading the word about our campaign and balancing work, family, and the campaign all at once.