Blog

January 3rd, 2023

Chef Jared Campbell

Our newest addition to the Lost Buddy team has also brought along a new recipe– Garden Salt! We are so excited to welcome Jared into the Lost Buddy family. Get to know him a little better by reading a little about him below:

A note from Chef Jared:

I began my cooking career in the Texas Hill Country. I worked at several restaurants in the Boerne Area where I grew up. I then went to Colorado and lived in the mountains for a few years, eventually landing in Steamboat Springs working for Rex's family of Restaurants. After Steamboat I went to Vermont and worked at Basin Harbor Club, polishing my catering skills. I helped with several events and weddings weekly, including helping with a 900-person wedding. After a season there I found myself drawn back to the mountains. Moving to Telluride, I found myself continuing to cook for weddings and events at The Peaks Hotel and Spa for several years. I was given the great opportunity to run a French bistro kitchen, Bon Vivant. The restaurant sits at 11,000 feet above sea level and became my home for the next 8 years. There I learned the value of providing great meals and service. I eventually took over as GM and was able to refine the service side of the business, understanding that a dining experience should be just that, an experience. When I returned home to Texas I wanted to provide folks with experiences they would be talking about for years to come. In the comfort of your home you get to have the feeling of having your own Chef that wants to cook for you and your guests.

While cooking in the restaurant and for personal chef clients, I realized I was grabbing for my Lost Buddy Original Dry rub daily. I then began experimenting with another blend that would not only compliment the rub, but be delicious on it’s own. And so, Garden Salt was born! It was an easy “yes” from Sarah to bring it under the Lost Buddy umbrella and has been a fun addition to the line-up.

I live in Boerne with my wife, 3 dogs, and a cat. We enjoy spending time with family, kayaking, and trying out new restaurants around town. Being a part of the Lost Buddy team has enabled me to make more connections and inspired more creativity while I am in the kitchen. I look forward to developing more spice blends in the very near future!

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November 4th, 2021

Chef Adam Cole

Adam is not only one of the most talented chefs I’ve ever had the pleasure of dining with, he happens to be family! I’ve known Adam my entire life, and although we have never lived in the same state at the same time, we have forged a strong friendship over the years. It’s one of those easy relationships that no matter the length of time between visits we can pick up right where we left off.

Typically when Adam comes to visit we get the opportunity to cook together. We’ve competed in many a Wang Dang Doodle Dutch Oven Cook-Off as a team—one year we made churros, frying the dough in the dutch oven and adding a generous sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar when they came out. Another year we made two varieties of salsa and corn tortilla chips, all in a dutch oven, using 6 Texas state foods! We also stayed up all night smoking brisket for a family wedding, which made for a long night but with great company it was worth it.

Need further proof that Adam has unbelievable talent? Adam attended culinary school at AB Tech Community College in Asheville, NC. While in culinary school Adam participated in the American Culinary Federation Hot Food Team Competition at the National level for 2 years. He also participated in the Chaine de Rotisseurs Jeune Commis Competition, winning at the regional level and placing 2nd in the National competition. Adam appeared as a sous chef to Chef Michael Voltaggio on Iron Chef America: Voltaggio vs Flay (season 11, episode 17).

The first weekend of November Adam will be competing at the World Food Championships in Dallas with Chef Marcel Vigneron. Adam is cooking in the sandwich category and he will be using our very own Original Dry Rub to season the beef for his French Dip! I can’t wait to hear how he places in this competition and based on his previous record I expect he will do amazingly well! I am so proud to call Adam family and friend, and I am honored that he is a supporter of Lost Buddy Spices.

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June 11th, 2019

Lost Buddy is Two!

SARAH

Have you ever had a spur of the moment “what if I just go for it??” kind of thought? That was Lost Buddy for me. I thought if I could just get started, I could potentially make this thing pretty big and have some fun doing it. I knew immediately who I wanted to be involved and here we are, two years later, sharing the rub with family, friends and strangers alike! Diving into a business world that I knew nothing about was daunting but our team has rallied, learned, and grown immensely since the day we all jumped on board. I am so impressed with the commitment and dedication that everyone has put towards making our Lost Buddy dream a reality. Allowing people outside of our immediate family and group of friends to try something that is so dear to us has been an absolute pleasure. I love that so many people know Lost Buddy. I love that so many people share Lost Buddy! I am looking forward to growing more, myself and my business, and sharing the rub for many years to come!

JULIE

Two years have sure flown by. From those early days of working together creating a logo, designing our packaging and building a website, to officially launching the original dry rub and selling out one small batch at a time, it has been a privilege to be part of the team challenged with growing this coveted family recipe into a brand. Happy 2 years Lost Buddy Spices...and a huge thanks to Sarah, Rachel and John for including me in all the fun!

JOHN

Over the 35+ years that LBR has been in our world, it became a favorite of numerous friends and family members. We’d make up batches and make sure it was available to anyone who asked. With the launch of Lost Buddy Spices two years ago, the Rub is now a mainstay for many new adherents. While being a resounding commercial success is our ultimate goal, the underlying objective for producing and “sharing the Rub” is to make certain that a fresh supply remains available to those of us who use nothing else. After all, LBR is the only rub you’ll ever need! Happy Seasoning, Friends!!

RACHEL

My biggest takeaway after two years of being in the rub business is how you cannot underestimate the importance of supportive friends and family, and how sharing the rub, one little packet at a time, can start to have a big impact. I've also loved seeing our team grow and change and adapt, mostly by being pushed to do more and be more, not just as small business owners, but as people. Thank you all for coming along side us! I can't wait to see what the next chapter of Lost Buddy holds.

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May 14th, 2019

John

Well, I’m the Dad of these two lovely ladies, and I never dreamed that they would take to making spices and sausage like ducks to water. I guess they could have been introduced to more bizarre pastimes…but we always manage to make the most of it and have a great family time.

Part of the reason we have evolved to spice making (and sausage) is probably the generally overbearing German trait of needing to control everything. My wife, Cheryl, would agree with that comment without hesitation. But honestly, if you’re going to put something in your mouth, don’t you want to know - with a high degree of certainty - that it’s fresh and been handled with the utmost of care?

So there you have it! We harvest our own game, process it, package it and later produce the quintessential German delicacy – sausage. Along the way, we create sausage spice blends that have a way of making a hungry crowd happy. Lost Buddy Original Spice was a natural for our Family. Although we don’t use Lost Buddy in our sausage spice blends (probably the only thing we don’t put it in), using it through the years has created an awareness of the magic of spices in all forms of cooking. We used it this weekend on crispy charred kale…and it really was magic!

We had so many friends using Lost Buddy Original Spice (which we gave away to anyone who requested it), that we found ourselves making batches on a regular basis. We didn’t want to disappoint our friends. So, when the “girls” decided to turn Lost Buddy into a business, I agreed on the basis that I could hold the position of “Business Advisor”. I feel smarter just saying it.

With the support of friends and family, the notion of creating an online word-of- mouth business took off. Heck, speaking of taking off, this writing has made me thirsty; think I’ll go make a Bloody Maria, throw in the garden, and salt the rim with some Lost Buddy Original Spice. Now that’s using spices wisely!

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April 9th, 2019

Why?

I got the idea to start Lost Buddy when my first born was 6 months old. I had been reading “You Are a Badass” by Jen Sincero (if you haven’t already, I highly recommend you grab a copy and start reading!) and I was feeling inspired to step out of my comfort zone and develop a plan to start a new company. For a while I wasn’t entirely sure what kind of company I wanted to start… I already own a company as a BCBA, so I was pretty sure I wanted to stay away from a service-based product. One afternoon I was on a run and it dawned on me- this spice rub that my family has been using forever would be the perfect thing to try to market and sell! I remember calling my dad and asking him why we weren’t selling, hoping there wasn’t a reason I hadn’t considered that would stop my plans before I had a chance to even make them. After talking for a bit and learning there was no real reason I shouldn’t or couldn’t move forward, I pitched my idea to sell Lost Buddy.

It wasn’t too hard to convince my husband that this was something I wanted to move forward with. He has always supported my crazy dreams, and this time was no different. The thought of raising a baby, running my other company, keeping the house in working order (including taking care of 3 dogs and 1 cat because, evidently, we thrive on chaos), and starting this brand-new business somehow didn’t seem like a completely insane and overwhelming undertaking. With my husband by my side, I moved forward in solidifying who I wanted on the Lost Buddy team and we got the business rolling!

It’s amazing, once we launched, we had an immediate and incredible support system. Heck, even before we launched, we had family and friends cheering us on! The love for our family, and for this recipe, is outstanding and unmatched. This rub is something that has defined our family meals for my entire life. Family and friends ask for it all the time, we even gave it out as our wedding favor when we got married 9 years ago! And now, we are able to share it with not only our original supporters, but with any one who wants to experience it. The feedback that we get is positive, and the people that we get to meet in the process are amazing. Looking back, I can’t imagine what life would be like without Lost Buddy, and I am so fortunate to have a team of people who said YES to stepping out of our comfort zones and making this happen!

I often get questions about how I was able to manage everything, family and business, and why I wanted to start a new company in an already busy life. One thing that has stuck with me- from the initial idea to this very day- was that I wanted to show my son what I am capable of. I want him to look back at this time, a time that he won’t actually remember but will hear us talk about and think “I can’t believe what my mom did!” I want to leave him, and now our second son, an amazing legacy and inspire them to step out of their comfort zones and follow their hearts. I hope that when they grow up they see it’s possible to have a dream and watch it come to fruition. I hope when they grow up they know that their dad and I will support them in anything they want to do, just like my family supports me in the Lost Buddy dream we are currently living.

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March 23, 2018

Sausage

From the earliest age, we remember traveling to our grandparents' farm in Victoria, Texas to make sausage. As years went by and the operation turned into a well-oiled machine, we all fell into our respective “sausage-making” jobs. Dad is the expert spice blender, string tyer, and delegator; Mom and I have learned the ins and outs of the vacuum sealing machines while packing up the final products (and sneaking in the occasional ping pong match); the sons in law, Marcus and Tim, take turns churning the gears of the stuffer and hoisting ice chests full of fresh ground venison and pork wherever they need to land; and Sarah right at home as the “coiler”--spinning the seamlessly never-ending wheel of sausage as is spills neatly out of the stuffer.

Friends and extended family often join us, never hesitant to get their hands dirty and fill the void where needed. The sausage making weekend is an annual tradition, yet sometimes the best part of the day is sitting down and enjoying whatever is being pulled off the grill, seasoned with Lost Buddy, of course, and the cold Cubra Libre and that makes it into your hand when the work is done.

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February 3, 2018

Why Dry Rub?

Being a spice company that only sells dry rub, we often get questions like, “why only dry rub?” or “are y’all going to sell marinades?” Being loyal to the dry rub way of life doesn’t mean we never use marinades in our own cooking, but there is a science behind using rubs. And the consistent results we get with our Lost Buddy Original Dry Rub don’t make us want to try anything different.

Here’s why dry rubs work:

Meat is already largely made up of water/liquid--even if you get your meat straight from the coop/field/farm/pen, it’s just a fact. So adding more liquid (marinade) to meat does not always translate to flavor. Dry rub is able to penetrate into the meat and add additional flavor by absorbing into the natural juices.
The salt in the rub helps the fat to melt while cooking, creating juicier and more flavorful steaks and roasts.
Adding additional liquid via marinade can cause the meat to steam while cooking. This is especially true for beef and fattier cuts of pork. Steaming meat=no sear.

So now, in light of our affinity to dry rub, you might want to know why we also offer brining kits. Great question! The brining method (letting meat sit in a bath of salt, sugar, spices, and water) is recommended for leaner cuts of meat--like poultry. It might seem counterintuitive based on the information above, but brining helps retain moisture in the meat. Marinades often fail in translating flavor while adding too much moisture to meats that need a good sear to be cooked properly. Brining adds moisture to meats that desperately need it (turkey, chicken breast, etc.) and do not rely as heavily on searing during the cooking process.

Why Lost Buddy?

Contrary to popular belief, spices can go bad and lose their freshness. Since our rub is made in small batches, quality control is easy. We go directly to suppliers and hand pick the spices. We blend them ourselves. We are proud of Lost Buddy, so we make sure the best product is put in those jars. The spices we select and blend are shipped direct to you with the least amount of time spent on the shelf as possible. Freshness matters!

Check out our recipe for spatchcock chicken--it combines brining and dry rubbing for a super delicious bird!

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December 8, 2017

Our family, like many, has traditions that center around sharing food, and we’ve been living the slow cooking movement and practicing “farm-to-table” before it was a thing. Along with Mom’s homegrown vegetables and venison harvested by Dad himself, the common thread has always been our Lost Buddy Original Dry Rub.

My first food memories are of Mom whipping up our favorites at home (pasta with green sauce was always a hit), and despite Sarah’s short lived pea “allergy” and my temporary aversion to all types of onions, dinner was always homemade, delicious, and shared together. As we grew up, so did our taste, and the food at home only got better. So began the “fancy dinner” ritual. We would get decked out and Dad would grill venison steaks, sprinkled with Lost Buddy and cooked to just under medium rare, with a sweet and tangy blueberry sauce. While devouring our steaks under the low-light of the dining room, our feet would bob just above the carpet to whatever Steely Dan tune was humming in the background. And we would smile at each other through bites and know that there was no restaurant in the world as good as this.

In a way, Lost Buddy Rub holds a mirror to our family. It’s got salt of the earth, a bit of sweetness, a kick of pepper and just the right amount of mystery and wonder. It likes bringing people together and sharing what it has to offer. But most importantly, it’s simple, and it’s all you really need.

The rub has been part of the family for four generations now, but the Lost Buddy name came about when we were teenagers around a campfire, reminiscing about a family friend we had lost touch with over the years that had shared in many of our family’s traditions around the grill. Somehow the name just stuck. I am sure every family has their own Lost Buddy story--we just named a spice rub after ours!

After years of enjoying Lost Buddy Rub, Sarah realized that our family has a good thing and we need to share it. Getting Lost Buddy Spices beyond our circle of family and friends is something that we as sisters could share together. Mealtime in our family is about cultivating an experience and spending intentional time together. Lost Buddy lets that happen. We get to learn, laugh, taste, admire—together. How could we not want to share this?

This is more than a rub, it’s a tradition.