Southern Spices
Southern Spices

Southern Spices

Vendor Biography

Our aim is to provide our customers and families with the freshest ingredients in our seasonings while minimizing shelf life so that you will always experience a fully flavored blend in all your family meals!

 

It all started at the age of eight when my mother stated “Son, it’s time for you to learn how to cook.” It was an exciting time for me because each day during meal preparation I would sit at the kitchen table watching my mother cut and season the meat, peel the potatoes, shell the peas, and cut and wash the greens. I became fixated on how fast, accurate and efficient she would work to finish the meal for us. So, on that Sunday afternoon, after mother making that statement, she pulled a chair from the kitchen table, placed it close to the kitchen counter and hoisted me in the chair so I could fully see her in action. She had a whole chicken in her hand and she gave me a bottle of seasoning salt and said, ”as I cut this chicken in parts, I want you to rub a fair amount of seasoning on it and place the chicken in the bag of flour.” From that day forward, I would always volunteer to season the meat and as a teenager, I would explore mixing different seasonings and spices together to acquire a different taste from the traditional blend I was given. When I tasted a food using a traditional blend, I always thought I could make it taste better. That was my mindset then and it continued into adulthood. So, as I cooked at family barbeques, church picnics and other gatherings, people would be amazed at the taste of the meats and vegetables and would often ask, “what kind of seasoning did you use?” My answer to them was simply “a little of this and a little of that.” About two years ago, I said to my wife, “All of my life, I have been mixing different blends to make different tastes on meats and other foods and I think it’s about time for me to use my entrepreneurial spirit and create my own line of seasonings.” She said, “go for it.” 

                            -Marcus D. Oaks, President and Founder