A unique kind of electricity hums through a small food business when you’re on the cusp of launching something completely new. For years, Rubies in the Rubble has been known for rescuing unloved, oddly shaped fruit & vegetables and turning them into award-winning ketchups, relishes and mayos. But this month, we’re turning up the heat.
On 17 July, our brand-new range of hot sauces – Jalapeño and Habanero – alongside a fiery Hot Honey, launches on Ocado.
After 12 years of building Rubies in the Rubble and many product launches along the way, I’ve learned successful innovation comes down to two essentials. First, a product must feel authentic to the brand behind it. Consumers need to understand why you are entering a category and trust that you have both the passion and credibility to do it well. Second, the product must solve a genuine consumer need, whether by creating something entirely new or simply elevating an existing category with a better offering.
For me, entering the world of heat has been a long-held ambition. As a chilli fanatic, it feels like a natural next step personally, but it also feels like a perfect fit for Rubies. Nothing captures our playful, bold spirit quite like a punchy hot sauce.
The timing feels right, too. The majority of our social media audience is Gen Z, a generation that actively seeks out brands with authenticity, purpose and a clear social mission. They also happen to have a huge appetite for spicy food. By combining the growing demand for heat with our sustainable ethos, we have an opportunity to bring our message of finding flavour in flaw and celebrating surplus food to a new generation of conscious consumers.
Of course, creating the products themselves has been far from straightforward. I’m incredibly fussy about hot sauce, and while there are plenty on the market that deliver heat, many lack depth and lasting flavour. It has taken countless iterations to strike the right balance between spice and complexity, while also working within a reliable supply chain of surplus ingredients.
The result is a sauce base made with rescued pears and carrots, creating natural sweetness and depth that carries the flavour of our fermented peppers and spice blend long after the first kick.
Since 2012, we’ve rescued more than 10 million fruits & vegetables. This launch gives us a vibrant new platform to continue championing that mission while delivering the bold flavours consumers want. And I can’t wait to see these bottles finding their place in kitchens across the UK.
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