Pictured above: Adam and Sarah Winter.
A New Zealand-made barbecue rub has taken the international stage by storm, setting The Four Saucemen on a path to conquer the $1.8 billion US market. After securing a top-six finish at the prestigious American Royal World Series of Barbecue, co-founder Adam Winter and his team are now poised for their biggest expansion yet.
Founded by Adam and his wife Sarah in 2019, The Four Saucemen has rapidly grown from a home kitchen experiment to a brand with over 500 retail partners across New Zealand and Australia. Their big break came in 2024 when their Manuka Hot Honey Rub ranked sixth among more than 900 entries at the world’s largest BBQ competition.
“The American Royal is the largest barbecue competition in the world,” says Winter.
“They include BBQ rub and sauce competitions as well as a full weekend of competitive cooking. In 2024, we were 4th equal, 6th on countback, and one of the judges even contacted us directly to ask where he could buy the rub. That result has given us a huge springboard to launch from.”
The accolade immediately translated into a surge of interest, prompting The Four Saucemen to scale up production and explore wider distribution in the US.
Cracking the US market
Despite the lure of a massive customer base, Winter and his team are taking a careful, staged approach to their US entry.
“We are conscious that the US is a challenging and potentially high-risk market,” he explains.
“You can do it on a small scale with some independents, but the easiest way for us to do it is with a major hardware supplier where they’ve got thousands of stores. That is a possibility we’d like to look at in the future.”
For now, Amazon plays a pivotal role in their strategy. Winter was particularly struck by the platform’s dominance after visiting friends in Austin, Texas.
“I was amazed at how Amazon and online shopping dominated the space. The goal with Amazon is to make enough noise where a large retailer will notice us.”
To support this push, The Four Saucemen are shifting from small airfreight shipments to a significantly larger sea freight delivery. “We wanted to see which flavours and combo deals would sell well. Now, we’re sending a large sea freight shipment to Amazon USA and Australia.”
Expanding into the US is no small feat, but Winter has leveraged the insights of other Kiwi entrepreneurs who have tackled similar challenges.
“I am lucky to have some business contacts who have entered the US market with their own products, all of which have had expensive teething problems. Being able to learn from them has been invaluable.”
The team has also adapted their packaging and labeling to meet US regulations, ensuring a smooth transition into the market.
“We changed our label requirements for the US market and sent them over. They just started selling. Now, we are focusing on increasing the volume.”
Understanding regional taste preferences has been crucial in shaping The Four Saucemen’s approach.
“US states can vary a lot when it comes to flavour, spice level, and sweetness,” Winter says.
“Texas is well known as the salt and pepper state with a vinegar-based sauce and a little spice. Kansas BBQ likes a sweet heat sauce with paprika-based rub. We offer a bit of everything.”
Amazon’s data analytics allows them to see where their products sell best, helping refine their offerings and marketing. “The great thing with Amazon is you get to see where your products are selling. From here, we can fine-tune the offerings and marketing.”
The Rub collection.
Lessons from Australia
While the US remains a key growth target, The Four Saucemen continue to build momentum in Australia.
“Our products have many Meatstock awards, which is an Australian-based BBQ festival. This has helped with our marketing in Australia,” says Winter.
“Trying to do business in the US is much more difficult. We are largely unknown. But by entering BBQ competitions with our products, it is lifting our profile.”
The company’s success across the Tasman has been driven by strategic retail partnerships. “We now have a direct contract with Barbecues Galore in Australia, which is about a hundred retail stores, and we have just taken on a new distributor who signed 20 new retail accounts for us in the first two weeks.”
The Four Saucemen’s recent partnership with New Zealand’s Waitoa Free Range Chicken has proven to be a game-changer.
“Working with a large corporate client is a privilege. The level of compliance required us to put systems in place to satisfy their management team. Having this level of compliance will enable us to work on more high-profile collaborations in the future.”
The exposure has helped introduce their brand to consumers who might not have otherwise discovered it.
“The growth from this partnership is showing in our sales around the country. Given Waitoa is owned by an Australian company, we will try our luck there first.”
A unique New Zealand identity
A major selling point for The Four Saucemen is their use of premium New Zealand ingredients, particularly Manuka honey.
“Having a unique ingredient like Manuka honey is already popular in Australia and America,” Winter says.
“Using it in our barbecue rub and glaze not only gave us a fantastic tasting product but is also a great marketing tool. The New Zealand Manuka Honey branding is very strong internationally, and this really helped with a successful launch.”
The company works with a leading Manuka honey supplier to ensure consistency and scalability. “We can rely on great quality, and when we need to scale, they can supply.”
Winter envisions a future where The Four Saucemen products are available in major US retail chains.
“Success in the US market is having our products on the shelves in one or more of the large, big box stores. Growing our Amazon offering to a point where we can run the business from anywhere in the world would be great.”
In the next five years, they aim to solidify their position in New Zealand, expand their distribution in Australia, and further develop their presence on Amazon.
For other small businesses considering a similar leap, Winter offers practical advice.
“Talk with other business owners you know who have entered the US market. They are generally happy to chat about what went right or wrong. Do your homework. Know your costs. Once you list on Amazon, you will have many businesses trying to ‘help’ your brand and sales. Just go at your own pace.”
