Que 42: Celebrating Western New York with Authentic Flavors and Locally Sourced Ingredients
Award-winning rubs and sauces out of South Buffalo
In today's food and product landscape, where prices are rising, and fillers are increasingly being used, it is refreshing to find a company that not only offers high-quality non additive products but also supports local producers in the process.
With some help from other WNY businesses ranging from honey producers, to bottle makers, copackers, and distributers, Que 42 has embraced the local business community and incorporated it into their award-winning product start to finish. Chatting with two of the founders Bridget Thornton and Eammon Azizi, it was clear that their mission was to create a great product while also giving back to the community through partnership and charity.
Modeling their sauces and rubs after the tasting experience you would get from sipping a fine wine or whiskey, the team behind Que 42 has their eyes set on delivering a product that will compliment any cut of meat or vegetable, and level up your BBQ game.
Who does the Que 42 team consist of?
Eammon: “We are: CEO and Co-Founder Eammon Azizi / COO and Co-Founder Bridget Thornton / CFO Drew Gier / CGO (Chief Grilling Officer) Reid Ferguson (also long snapper of the Buffalo Bills.).”
Have you worked in the food industry before Que 42?
Eammon: “Like a true ‘80s and early ‘90s kid, I grew up eating frozen pizzas, hot pockets, and Doritos. I worked at Pizza Hut for a few years, which was my favorite job of that era.”
“What inspired me in the food space was a passion for grilling and cooking over fire. Every cook is an adventure, from the weather, coals, and wood to the cut of meat and the ingredients you choose.”
“Graduating from the backyard in 2012, I began to dabble and participate in the BBQ Competition Circuit. In 2014, I started training under a champion-level pitmaster. After playing assistant, I started competing independently and won a few trophies, including one for my BBQ sauce recipe.”
“From there, diving deep into layering and creating flavors became a focus.”
What is the inspiration and goal behind Que 42?
Bridget: “We are inspired by unique flavor profiles with multiple layers. All our products take you on a subtle journey from the beginning, middle, and lingering notes at the end. We model our products after fine whiskey or wine.”
“Our goal is to offer discerning cooks products that elevate their cooking and impress their guests. Increasingly, people are demanding higher quality food products and we aim to cater to them. When you purchase a high end cut of meat (though our products also pair well with vegetables), you want high end products that complement the meat; not overpower it.”
“The WNY honey is essential to the quality of the sauces because there’s a specific consistency, thickness, and flavor that balances with the rest of the ingredients.” Eammon
You mentioned that you work with local ingredients and producers. Which local food producers have you partnered with to create the rubs and sauces?
Eammon: “Our goal continues to be to work with as many local suppliers as possible for everything from the bottles to ingredients. We started by hand-making and bottling everything ourselves, in batches as small as 20 at a time. We’d go to farmer’s markets to find the best local honey and spices. The WNY honey is essential to the quality of the sauces because there’s a specific consistency, thickness, and flavor that balances with the rest of the ingredients.”
“We tested three different honey suppliers in the area and eventually decided on Wixson Honey. They’re also just down the road from our rub copacker. We’re currently discussing plans with a Buffalo-based coffee shop for our next batch of coffee rub. We want everything we create to have a regional element as close to Buffalo as possible.”
“When developing our recipes, we wanted a truly unique product without any preservatives, fillers, or high-fructose corn syrup. That’s what inspired us to create our own ketchup and mustard recipes. Instead of using an “off-the-shelf” version, which would be full of those aforementioned additives, we started from scratch on both. Bridget developed the ketchup, and I put together the mustard. Back when hand-making, I’d literally grind mustard seeds in the commercial kitchen to a specific coarseness.”
“That also deterred some co-packers from working with us because our sauces require a few extra steps. The ones who were up for working with us were Lanovara Foods in Rochester and Craft Cannery in Bergen.”
“Our rubs are also additive- and preservative-free. We ship all the ingredients to our co-packer along with a recipe, and they blend, bottle, and label them for us. Assured Edge Solutions (AES) have been fantastic partners in helping us create the best possible BBQ rubs.”
Bridget: “Finally, we found a warehouse and distributor in Amherst, NY, Remix Logistics, who stores, packages and ships our products across the country. As transplants, we were amazed at how the Western New York business community supports each other and we are proud to be a part of the ecosystem.”
What does the 42 represent in Que 42?
Bridget: “All our products pay homage to the regions of the country from which they were inspired. Our KC Rub and Sauce is on the 39th parallel, our Carolina sauce is on the 33rd parallel and so forth. The 42 represents where we founded our company - on the 42nd parallel in Buffalo, NY.”
Eammon: “It’s all about respecting regional flavors based on their spot on the map. For our South Buffalo Inspired Chicken Rub, we went overboard with 42.84, as that’s the Abbott, Potters, Caz Park intersection, which is in the middle of where all the members of Que 42 have lived in South Buffalo.”
The Que 42 KC Style Rub has been ranked #1 in NY and #14 in the world. Which competition was that, and are there any new competitions coming up that you will be entering?
Eammon: “The American Royal World Series of BBQ, 2023! Plus, our Carolina Mustard Sauce just won 6th in the world at the same contest for 2024.”
The packaging mentions that a portion of each sale is donated to a Grills Mafia supported charity. Can you talk a bit about which charity the proceeds go to?
Eammon: “Reid Ferguson is the founder of Grills Mafia, and donates to the Veterans One Stop Center of WNY. Working together on Que 42 makes it easy for us to offer support to the cause.”
What is your number one BBQ tip or advice you would give someone?
Eammon: “Learn the principles of what certain techniques from the experts are trying to achieve. Also, realize not every technique works the same for everybody. That’s why advice is always all over the board. Figure out what works best for you, and keep learning with every cook.”
Where can people learn more about the product and purchase it for themselves?
Bridget: “People can find us online at que42bbq.com to learn more about us and purchase products. They can also learn about our events, new product updates, and how to use our products across all social platforms @que42bbq
We are carried locally at Valint’s Meats in Lancaster, NY, Ace Hardware on Abbott Rd. and Summer St. in Buffalo, Big Bear BBQ Supply in Depew, NY, and ROC BBQ Supply in Rochester, NY.”