"I grow a lot of chillies in my own garden. I had so much of them that I wanted to do something with them. My good friend in Australia is a chef and he showed me the basics of making hot sauce.
"I had so much leftover I was giving it away. My friend still helps, and I'm constantly sending things back and forth for him to try."
He says his wife Abby has been supportive throughout the whole process.
"She runs her own business as well called Neat Products. She sells perfumes and skincare products. Watching her build her business gave me the idea to start my own. We help each other out. She does the web design and branding for me, and I help her pour perfumes for her business."
Jason has been running the business fulltime for a year.
"It's allowed me to grow and push my business further."
Before running his business fulltime, Jason worked at Fonterra.
"All the health and safety skills I learnt there I can use while I make the hot sauce. Making hot sauce is similar to making cheese. The pasteurisation, acidity, and temperature, it's everything I worked with at Fonterra."
Jason says his business is all-natural.
"I use natural ingredients. One batch of sauce can last me for a month and a half."
The products are available online.
"I've had a lot of support from people buying my products and it's the same at the pop-up. It's great to see Taranaki's producers recognised."
■ A Pop-up shop in Eltham is showcasing some of Taranaki's best producers. From chocolates, honey, baking, and even hot sauce, there's something to suit everyone's palate. Over the next couple of weeks, the Stratford Press is profiling some of the businesses part of the pop-up.
