OLATHE, Kan. – From the stove to the oven or the grill, a local company has got you covered when it comes to spice and flavor. Olde Westport Spice and Trading Company is celebrating 28 years in Kansas City -- but their products are known around the country.
Bill Petersen started the company in 1981. He has been blending custom spices and seasonings ever since. However, his love of cooking started long ago.
"All my life, I cooked the chili seasoning,” Petersen says. “And one day I said to my wife 'You know, I think we could sell this stuff.' And surprisingly she said 'Yes.'"
From chili to barbecue to beef sauce -- the blends just took off. Today, Olde Westport markets 18 different spice blends and 16 different soup mixes. What makes their products stand out, beyond the taste, are their recipes. Each product is connected to dozens of dishes.
"For instance,” Petersen explains. “With the chili blend, I have 85 different recipes that you can do with the chili blend. And it's not all chili. We do appetizers and casserole dishes and chicken dishes."
The recipes are geared to families on the go. So time is a big consideration. The soups are all designed to be piping hot in 30 minutes. The spice blend recipes run an hour tops. And there's always something new.
"What I'll do is I'll get an idea for something and I'll just throw a few spices together and we'll taste them.”
Olde Westport’s strong sales come from three arenas. They sell wholesale, over the internet, and they rent space at shows and fairs.
