About 12 years ago I became interested in growing food for myself and my wife. I convinced our building manager in Bronxville, New York to let me install some raised beds in the outdoor common areas. After a few successful seasons growing vegetables, I saw that one of the crops that lingered into the Fall in the Northeast was chilies.

Growing up in South Africa with a British father and Madeiran mom with such a massive extended Portuguese family exposed me to a vast richness in cultural diversity. In people, personalities, language, music and flavour.

My influences come from growing up in Southern California being surrounded by so much great Mexican food, I developed a love and appreciation for Mexican cuisine. One of my first memories with hot sauce was noticing all the different hot sauces there are to try.

Mago Hot Sauce began as an underground hot sauce movement in Southern California and continues to emphasize craft and high quality. MAGO creates small-batch sauces with the perfect balance of heat and flavor so you can make every meal better.

Owner of Inferno Farms and holder of the world record for most Carolina Reaper pepper eaten in one minute, Greg Foster, comes on the craft hot sauce podcast. On the podcast Greg shares lessons learned from culinary and hot sauce mentors, and what’s going through his mind before a reaper eating contest!

Raised by my grandma in a sleepy hollow called Sea Cow Lake in South Africa, I remember her ingenious creativity using home grown ingredients, transforming the ordinary to sensational. My appreciation of flavorful, spicy meals and the Peri Peri chilies she grew were branded on my palate and in my mind at a young age.

Since I was a young boy, I've always loved spicy food. My parents were always adventurous eaters, and I grew up eating a wide variety of cuisine from around the world. Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Middle Eastern, Szechuan, Hunan, Sri Lankan, Mexican of varying regions, El Salvadorian, etc.

We started the company in the fall of 2015, using the base for our recipes from Woody Clamlube, our partner out in California. We met Woody at a wedding about four years ago, when he was introducing everyone at the reception to his homemade sauce.