History

Not Just Another Food Company

Building a successful food company takes smart strategies and a lot of hard work. Here’s the story of how three partners with varied backgrounds who’ve know each other since kindergarten, created Cookwell & Company, an Austin-based food company.

Does the world really need another salsa?

This was the question posed by Brion Cimino’s boss at JP Morgan Chase when Brion told him of his intentions to leave his Marketing position with the firm to start up a food company with his two best friends from grade school.

What the boss didn’t understand was that Brion, and his partners, Will Petty, and Kyle Green hadn’t been planning “just another food company”. The trio wanted to produce a line of unique products with a scope and flavor perspective unlike any other products on the market. It was their goal to make the everyday consumer a chef at home. They wanted their food products to elevate the everyday eating experience by providing the ingredients necessary to prepare quick, easy to make, but great tasting meals that their customers could feel proud to serve to their friends and families. The development of their product line was based on the premise that life should be enjoyed around the table, bringing family and friends together.

Cookwell & Company began their journey by partnering with HEB Grocery Stores in Texas.  This unique partnership is what differentiated Cookwell from the other specialty food company's and it provided the platform for Cookwell's future success, and it all began with one jar of Chili in 23 stores. 

Will Petty, the company chef, also known as Chief Flavor Officer,  started with the concept of providing the basic flavor profiles for some of the best loved dishes in America – gumbo, chili, Mexican chile-based stews, Mexican seafood dishes in the style of Veracruz, and Italian Cacciatore dishes – in a jar. All the consumer would have to do is add meat and/or seafood. Cookwell did the slicing, dicing, mincing & pureeing, adding just the right combinations of spices and fresh herbs, allowing the consumer to serve nutritious, delicious meals within the constraints of his or her busy lifestyle.

The product line expanded to include a trio of barbecue sauces, researched to capture the iconic flavors of various styles of Texas barbecue; salsas made with fresh produce and all-natural ingredients. Will is proud to say “You won’t find another salsa on the shelf that goes through as much preparation as Cookwell’s do. Our salsas have that fresh, kitchen taste that consumers would get if they made it themselves.” The reward for such due diligence in the test kitchen has resulted in several accolades for their products, including recognition from Real Simple Magazine in their June, 2009, edition.

The company soon added a line of marinades, one with a flavor profile for every type of meat, fish, shellfish, or vegetable; a line of salad dressings created from out-of-the-ordinary ingredients; dessert sauces which captured the flavor of classic Southern desserts; glazes that can be used to turn a simple piece of meat or fish into an outstanding center of the plate feature; and their Sweet Heat Sauces that give everyday cooks a flair in the kitchen they never thought they’d achieve.

Different is better.

Visit any major food show and you’ll be surrounded by thousands of companies all hoping to sell products that they believe are unique. Everyone has a favorite recipe from mom or grandma. They cooked it for their friends, who all loved it, so why not turn that recipe into a financial windfall, like Mrs. Field’s Cookies? Then there are companies who latch onto the latest food trends or the hippest ingredients, the “ingredient of the month”, or the next superfruit to create their products. But Cookwell & Company subscribes to a different strategy. Kyle sums up the company’s philosophy when he says “We strive to develop products that will stand the test of time. We invest a lot in the research and development of each of our products and want them to become staples in home kitchens for years to come.” Cookwell’s products are based on unique combinations of flavors, quality ingredients and a strong relationship with their retail partners, like HEB. With over 15 food companies in Central Texas producing and selling salad dressings alone, to truly distinguish yourself you have to create distinctive flavors.

This formula has paid off for the owners. Only five years after starting their business in Will’s garage-turned-test kitchen in Rollingwood, the company has seen distribution grow to 40 states, and the product line from one to twenty-five.

To come up with the uncommon, great tasting flavors that give their products universal appeal can be daunting. Brion says they find the inspirations for their products in their everyday lives. “We got the idea for our Asian Ginger Vinaigrette from a visit to a Japanese Steakhouse. We wondered why no one had ever replicated that one-of-a-kind flavor they’ve all captured in their salad dressings – a flavor that is universally loved.” Will also remembers the call he received from Brion while he was on a company business trip to Florida. “He called and was going on and on about the best salad dressing he’d ever had – and he said it was made from watermelon. So I knew a Watermelon Vinaigrette would become a part of the Cookwell cache of products.”

What it means to “Cookwell.”

Using all natural, premium ingredients has been a key focus of Cookwell’s since the company’s inception. The owners of Cookwell believe that you don’t need artificial flavors and preservatives to make a good product. In fact, they’re convinced that those artificial ingredients and chemicals take away from the true taste of the ingredients. That’s why Brion, Will, and Kyle work tirelessly to find and source only the best and freshest fruits and vegetables to produce their products. “Because we are so careful about what we put into our products, it’s really easy to stand behind them” says Will. But using quality ingredients is just the beginning of what it means to “Cookwell.” The successful trio believe that cooking well is the key to living well. “This is something that really motivates our thinking” adds Brion. “If we can help people cook well, we can bring back those shared family and friends cooking experiences that are so sorely missed in today’s rushed society. And consumers can enjoy our products knowing that we use only the best all natural ingredients.” “When I think of living well” Kyle explains, “it’s about getting family and friends together, and what better way to do that than with food.”

It’s easy to see why Cookwell & Company is certainly not “just another food company”.