"Phil Ford, a real estate appraiser and father of four in Raleigh, North Carolina, developed his sauce around 1987 while trying to copy his mother's recipe for a western North Carolina-style barbecue sauce. The resulting all natural, fat-free, fragrant blend includes: tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, honey, molasses, mustard, horseradish, lemon juice, onions, garlic, peppers, natural hickory smoke, natural spices and salt."

"Folks kept telling him that he needed to do something with the sauce - like bottle it and sell it! People loved it when he gave it away, but Phil never thought anyone would pay for his sauce. His sister-in-law, Sandi Ford, owner of Ford's Fancy Fruits & Gourmet Foods in Raleigh, had years of experience in the gourmet food business and had other thoughts, She encouraged him to no avail. Then finally in September 1992, Sandi and her husband, Lynn, told Phil they'd like to be his partners in bringing his sauce to market. He'd make it and they'd give it a name and sell it. While driving to Charleston, South Carolina a short time later, Sandi was preoccupied with the task of coming up with a name. She thought about how go-o-o-d it was and how it made her do something she'd never done before -- suck on the bones to get the last little bit of flavor. A name was born and the sauce was launched in November, 1992." article by L. Harrell

The origins of the business were rooted in the first produce house at the old city market of Raleigh in 1946.  The present owners, Lynn and Sandi Ford, came into the family  business in 1973 and expanded the business in 1986 by creating “Ford’s Fancy Fruits & Gourmet Foods,” which sold fruit baskets with NC peanuts, later expanding to open 2 retail stores carrying more than 300 NC gourmet food items from around the State.  In 1992 they joined forces with a brother-in-law, Phillip Ford, who improved his mother’s recipe for barbeque sauce, and created an all natural, tomato based sauce sweetened with honey and molasses.

They then teamed up with John Quinn, a NC Co-Packer (the firm that actually manufactures/mixes the sauce based on your recipe) in the summer of 1992.  Quinn’s Specialty Foods, the Co-Packer, had the kitchen set-up, FDA and health certifications.  This meant the Fords got a jump-start in producing their sauce and could concentrate on the marketing and distribution.  They placed an order with Quinn’s for 100 cases and made their first sale of the sauce in October 1992.  The whole family got involved.  Phillip and his family traveled around North Carolina doing in-store samplings.  Vaughn, Lynn and Sandi’s oldest son, took cases of sauce to sell to stores in the mountains of NC.  Patrick, their youngest son, sold to their first out-of-state customer, Virginia Smalls, Inc., a distributor on the SC Charleston Market.  That meant that tourists bought and took their delicious sauce all over the USA . 

The rise in fame of their core product, “Bone-Suckin’ Sauce,” began when Bone Suckin’ Sauce won “the NC Battle of the Sauces” in the March 1994.  The owners and 16 other sauce producers joined forces with the NC State Farmers Market and North Carolina Department of Agriculture to put on “the NC Battle of the Sauces.”  The first battle was in 1992 and continued for six years, eventually drawing more than 10,000 people.  With increasing rave reviews, the sauce won best in sales records every year in the Winner’s Circle, the elite category of past 1^st Place Winners.

The firm began considering exporting in the Summer of 1994.  The owners had been going to the NASFT (National Association of the Specialty Food Trade) International Fancy Food Show in New York City for years as buyers, looking for good packaging for their retail gourmet food stores.  Then luck helped.  Elberson, Singer and Shuler, a newly formed advertising company out of Charlotte and now known as Elberson Partners, offered to put together an ad campaign.  The owners of Ford’s Fancy Fruits strongly believe this creative talent was essential in making their company look stable and professional.  So in 1994, Ford’s went to their first International Fancy Food Show as a seller on the other side of the aisle, debuting Bone Suckin’ Sauce to 50,000 buyers around the world. 

At that show, foreign customers approached their small 10’ x 10’ booth, including the senior gourmet buyer from Harvey Nichols in London , a version of “Herod’s” meant for locals.  The ad campaign materials were so good that they attracted media coverage.  A writer/photographer from The New York Times was impressed enough to mention “Bone Suckin’ Sauce” on the first page of the food section the second day of the show.  Soon Canada ’s “Bruno’s,” based out of Toronto , wanted to carry the product in four of its stores.

Today the firm exports to 26 countries.  About 10-15% of its business comes from these exports, and both their domestic and export sales are growing.  Ford's Gourmet Foods plans are to develop an organics line, and broaden the range of gourmet foods offered.

• An all natural, fat free, no high fructose corn syrup, no preservatives product line

• All products except the new Bone Suckin’ Yaki are gluten free

• Sold in all 50 States, Canada, Japan, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Denmark, Barbados, The Caribbean, & The Netherlands

• In 1994 Disneyworld & Harvey Nichols of London become two of the first customers of
  Bone Suckin’ Sauce.

• 1^st Place “ Battle of the Sauces Winner” in North Carolina by a landslide

• “Best in Sales Winners Circle ” 6 years in a row

• Best Selling Specialty Sauce in Harris Teeter Grocery Store Chain

• “Sauce of the Year” for The Fresh Market Grocery Chain

• Country’s Best Sellers in Food and Wine Magazine 2 years in a row - Original & Hot Flavors named.

• 1^st Place Winner Best Hot Sauce in USA , Golden Chili Award - Bone Suckin’ Hiccuppin’ Hot  Sauce.

• 1^st Place Winner National Salsa Shootout Hot & Chunky - Bone Suckin’ Big Chunks Salsa

• Launched additional products with aisle stopping names, - Bone Suckin’ Mustard,
  Bone Suckin’ Rib Rub, Bone Suckin’ Thicker Style and Bone Suckin’ Hot Thicker Style.

• Bone Suckin’ Mustard is National Winner for Advertising Layout /Brand Recognition

• July 2005 – Birth of Bone Suckin’ Yaki !!!

• Voted #1 Barbecue Sauce in The USA by Newsweek Magazine "Sensational!"

‘nuff said