By Katie Hurley
Have you ever had a friend who made something that tasted so good that people told them they should start selling it? Ten years ago, Randy Milligan listened to his friends, and started selling his Salsa So Fresh in the local area. Now shoppers at Bayview Thriftway and Ralph’s Thriftway are finding out just how good it is.
When he was growing up, Milligan worked at a family Mexican restaurant in Mesa, Arizona. Years later, he was preparing Mexican dishes and his fresh salsa as a fundraiser for church youth, and his salsa became so popular that the fundraiser evolved into selling just the salsa alone. Fans begged Milligan to make it available year round, and in 2003 Salsa So Fresh hit the market.
While Randy is the salsa chef, the creative inspiration comes from his wife Joy, who used to own a flower shop in Arizona. The self-described Mom & Pop business is truly just Mom and Pop. They employed their children as they were growing up, but it’s just the two of them running the show now.
Joy knew they needed to offer more than just medium and hot salsa if they wanted to make their product stand out in the marketplace, so she encouraged Randy to experiment with other ingredients and flavors to expand their product line. And expand it they did! Joy asked Randy to try adding peach and pineapple to the salsa, and while it didn’t appeal to him, he gave it a shot and came up with sweet, spicy and tangy blend that is fantastic with chips or on grilled fish or chicken. The Black Bean Feta salsa was inspired by a salad recipe the Milligans love to prepare.
Other flavors include Bruschetta, which is great on toasted baguette slices or baked on top of chicken, Salsa Olivos, Hot Chipotle Lime, Raspberry Chipotle, Salsa Verde and the fantastically creamy and flavorful Jalapeno Bacon Dip and Spread. Inspired by bacon jalapeno poppers, the Jalapeno Bacon Dip and Spread is great as a dip for crackers, chips or veggies, but also makes a great burger or baked potato condiment. They also make a Garlic Garden Vegetable Dip and Spread.
“We are very passionate about producing a consistently great product,” says Joy. “If the produce doesn’t look good when it comes in, Randy doesn’t use it.” They don’t use any preservatives, nor do they use vinegar to extend the shelf life. “You can taste the freshness instead of sour vinegar masking the flavors,” says Joy.
Salsa So Fresh’s products have been available at Ralph’s Thriftway and Bayview Thriftway since last summer. “We really appreciate the local support for our product, especially from the Stormans’ stores. Olympia is great about supporting local families and businesses,” said Joy.
For your Cinco de Mayo celebration, backyard barbecue or any other occasion, stop by Ralph’s Thriftway or Bayview Thriftway and pick up some Salsa So Fresh and taste for yourself.
Bayview Thriftway
516 W. 4th Ave., Olympia
360-352-4897
Ralph’s Thriftway
1908 E. 4th Ave., Olympia
360-357-8011
