My name is Andrew McKean and I was born in the country of New Zealand to two wonderful parents, Andrew James and Ruth Joy McKean. I was blessed to grow up in such a beautiful country. The climate was great and I enjoyed the outdoor life very much. I suppose our family was pretty normal and seemed much like everyone else. My parents always encouraged us to follow our hearts and have respect for everyone around us. I am the oldest of four. Two brothers John and Stephen and the youngest my sister Cindy. Of course I had two sets of Grandparents: Cecil & Annie Leach (My Mother’s parents). William and Grace McKean (My Dad’s parents).

 

My Mum’s Mother (known to me as Nana) used to make the New Zealand Grillin’ sauce you are now trying for the first time. The earliest I can remember her making it was around five or six years of age. Each year everybody would gather plums (always plenty of people seemed to have plum trees). Nana would throw everything in a large pot and let it boil away for hours. The whole house would fill with the aroma of boiling vinegar, garlic and spices. I thought it was a great smell (not everyone agreed though).

My Mother was most probably making the New Zealand Grillin’ sauce around the same time as Nana was but to a child it was always special to be at Nana’s house with some of the smells locked in your mind.

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Over the years the Grillin’ Sauce was a staple at our table. I do not remember ever being without this sauce to apply to any meat we were eating. When I got married I started making it just as my Mother and Nana did. Put all the ingredients in a large pot and let it boil away for hours. We would then puree it and would end up with a beautiful crimson sauce.

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Approximately eighteen years ago I moved here to the U.S. (Cincinnati. Ohio) with my family and continued the annual tradition of making the Sauce. We like to entertain a lot so we would have several hundred folks through our home every year. Everyone fell in love with the Sauce. Had many people want to buy it and a lot of pressure to make it available to the public. So approximately two years ago my wife, Cindy and I began the journey of seeing what would be involved to take this incredible Sauce to market. We were very conscience of the fact that we did not want to compromise any of the natural ingredients that were in the sauce as it is 100% natural and is even vegetarian friendly.

 

As you can imagine going from a pot on the stove boiling for several hours to quick boil and bottle in a factory setting was quite a step. We finally felt we had perfected the process to the point we could take it to a manufacturer. The factory took the data and said that they could and would produce it just as we had presented it with no change to the ingredients or the quality of the product. (Also it is naturally self-preserving).

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So there you have it! My son AJ and his wife and family are now back in New Zealand and are carrying on the family tradition along with my daughter Christina and her husband and family here in Cincinnati, OH. When we go back to visit family in New Zealand, we make a big batch and the aroma fills the neighborhood once again! It is always on my children’s table and of course the grand kids complain if it is not available at every meal. So we now have four generations who are making this great sauce.

We appreciate you trying the New Zealand Grillin’ Sauce and look forward to any feedback or comments you may have.

Bon Appétit!

Andrew C.J. McKean