#163 Bring the Heat - Kelly Calabria, Kelly's Jellies

Meaningful Marketplace Podcast

This show is another check-in with a former guest to see what’s changed since our last interview. Today we talk with Kelly Calabria, founder of Kelly’s Jelly. We last chatted with Kelly on episode #46, released in June of 2020. A quick background: Kelly’s Great Aunt Danny had a special recipe for peppery jelly that was irresistible and downright addicitve. However, part of it’s specialty was the difficulty in making it. The hot flavor came from the habanero peppers, which unleash and incredible burning sensation to skin and eyes when they are cut into. On top of that, boiling sugar water can also create a messy and dangerous situation. But Aunt Danny’s Habanero Pepper Jelly was worth the work and Kelly and husband Adam would create jars of it for family and friends for the Holidays. Then that same story you have heard before, everyone said “You should sell this!” and the entrepreneurial journey began. Starting in 2010, it was local Farmers Markets and the name change to Kelly’s Jelly, which had more market zing to it. Apologies to Danny. So what’s changed since our 2020 show? COVID caused many problems with food service and supply chain issues, which have improved but still haunt the company. Inflation is a bigger problem confronting the company now and distributor mergers have taken away choices and eliminated competition for distribution channels, meaning higher prices for the food producers. But the company has also countered with new products for their audience. In addition, they have come up with smaller sized jars of their pepper jellies to fit in cheese and deli sections where the shelf real estate is very valuable. Charcuterie boards also are a perfect place for specialty jellies, and the smaller jar fits right in with that venue. The newest product is a pepper honey product developed in cooperation with the Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center (host Sarah Masoni is the Director) which just shipped the same week as this interview. In addition to the pepper honey, the product line is an assortment of delicious pepper fruit jellies and fruit spreads in individual jars and gift packs. Fruit flavors are pineapple, strawberry, blueberry lemon and marionberry, the company’s number one seller. All berries are Oregon grown and all ingredients are sourced from producers who represent the best of their local production. Kelly’s Jelly is family-owned and woman run (Kelly). Kelly loves the challenge of the CEO role, relishing the problem-solving of issues that face her company on a regular basis. She loves navigating the path through the food industry hurdles for a small company slaying the big dragons of the grocery store shelf. The big questions facing her now are: Go national? Distribute 100% through distributors? These are huge questions because they put a CEO in the position of committing a company to expenses and obligations that can sink the ship if things don’t go to plan. But Kelly and Adam seem to be faring very well to date. You can buy their jellies and spreads online at: https://kellysjelly.com/ You also can find them at local Portland area grocers, and national grocers on the west coast. Follow them: IG @kellysjellyoregon, FB @kellysjelly. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Thank you for Listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast.

Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers
Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design
Production Coordinator: Kayleen Veatch