Farmer's Market Spotlight: 11-Year-Old And His Gourmet Wine Jellies
While still too young to buy the main ingredient, 11-year-old Ryan O'Neill has started a business making and selling Saucy Spirits wine jellies, with his parents' help.
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At 11 years old, Ryan O'Neill is still a decade away from being able to legally buy wine. But that hasn't stopped him from starting a business making and selling wine jellies.
Ryan started Saucy Spirits last summer. His first idea was to make relishes, but he found out he would need a permit to sell them. His next thought was wine jellies.
“I like to cook for myself and try making things that sound good,” Ryan said. He also likes the independence that comes with cooking.
He dreamed up recipes for about 20 flavors of wine jelly, and the next day, with his parents' help, he cooked them all. He and his family sampled the different flavors with meats and cheeses, then narrowed it down to six flavors to make and sell.
His recipes differ from other wine jellies, he said, because they have other flavors added to the wine.
“For example, our pinot grigio has pear in it,” he said.
And how did he know what flavors would go well with what wines?
“I sort of relied on my mom and dad's knowledge a little,” he said. His parents also help Ryan make and sell the jellies, buying the wine and driving him to markets to sell the finished product.
His flavors of jelly – pomegranate moscato, roasted red pepper chardonnay, blackberry merlot, white zinfandel, pear pinot grigio and dark chocolate cabernet sauvignon – set his products apart from ordinary jams and jellies.
“Some people, they just spread it on toast, but others like to do that and make other dishes as well,” Ryan said. The Saucy Spirits website offers recipes that customers can make with the jellies, such as Pear Pinot Grigio Yogurt Dressing and Bacon Wrapped Crab Stuffed Shrimp with Red Pepper Chardonnay Cream Sauce.
“It's supposed to be a treat,” said Tiffany Wong, Ryan's mother, about the jellies. “It's a higher-end gourmet item.”
Ryan sells his jellies at farmers markets — including the Lilburn Farmer’s Market on Fridays throughout this summer — and on the Saucy Spirits website for $8 a jar.
“We looked at how much our cost was, and we sort of priced it around that where we would make money and cover all of our costs,” Ryan said.
And, following his parents' advice, he's learned to save the money he makes.
“A long time ago, when I first started making money, I would spend it as soon as I got it,” he said.
Despite his business success, Ryan has still had to prove himself.
“When I told my friends, they didn't believe me,” he said. “So I said, 'Fine, I'll bring my business card tomorrow.'”
What's next for Saucy Spirits? Ryan has plans for a new flavor of jelly, lemongrass plum wine. He's also trying to make organic jellies, which will allow him to sell in more farmers markets. His mother is applying for a permit to sell Saucy Spirits' jellies in stores, and they already have stores in Texas, Pennsylvania and Altanta that are interested. And someday, Ryan plans to start another business, maybe fixing and reselling broken lawn equipment that would otherwise be thrown away.
But, “I told him he's got to focus on one business for now,” Wong said, smiling.
Where To Find Saucy Spirits This Summer:
Atlanta Underground Market: Special Chocolate Edition
Friday, June 11 from 7 – 9:30 p.m.
Fridays from 4 – 8 p.m.
Sundays from 1 – 5 p.m.
Saturdays from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Editor's Note: This article originated in Lawrenceville Patch.
