Chef Merito - How a Family Recipe Became a Flavor Empire

Ramon Vela: [00:00:00] 
Welcome back everyone. This is the story of a brand and Ramon Vela, and again, I have this just amazing brand that we're going to feature on today's show.

So let's just get right down to it. I have Lauren Coral gto, who is head of Marketing at Chef Marito. Welcome to the show. 

Lauren Corugedo: Thank you so much Ramon. So happy to be here today and excited to chat with you. 

Ramon Vela: Well, I appreciate you making time. I know you're busy. This is an amazing brand. There's lots of products we're gonna talk about today and,~ um,~ and we're gonna learn more about the, the background of the brand and all the other things, but,~ um,~ I always like to make sure that.

Listeners to the show and viewers, if they watch this on YouTube, YouTube really understand,~ um,~ that there are real people behind these [00:01:00] brands that we feature on the show. It's very easy for someone to see a brand on the shelf or online, wherever they're gonna buy it. And just think, oh, it's some faceless corporation.

But I want them to know that there's real people behind these brands who care deeply about what they're doing, care about the community, care about their product quality, and really bleed, sweat and tear over bringing this,~ uh,~ products to market. And one way of getting to know someone is through a question of gratitude.

And that gratitude question actually right now, I think has a couple of different, ~um. ~Levels to it. ~Uh, ~in that it's a stressful time for a lot of people. ~Uh, ~pretty much ever since the pandemic we've had like sort of nonstop things going on, and I just feel like gratitude is a great way to relieve stress and it's a great way whether you meditate, whether you pray, whether you journal, whatever it is, it's.

Tool at your disposal to help you relieve stress and put things into [00:02:00] context. And I know sometimes it's hard to to be grateful, but there really is a lot of stuff to be grateful for and ~uh, ~and I highly recommend people use it. But like I said, it's also a great way to get to know who I'm speaking to today, Lauren.

So if you don't mind, can you share a moment or memory when someone did something for you that just made you feel grateful because it meant that they believed in you, your vision, or your potential? 

Lauren Corugedo: Great question, Raymond. I will say, you know, chef Mango is a family and Latino founded business, and so my grandfather built this company from the ground up, and I'm incredibly, incredibly proud and grateful to carry that legacy forward.

As Head of marketing, being Latina and continuing my family's business means everything to me. Even as we grow and expand, staying true to our roots and our community remains the most important part of what we do. I will say I am also grateful [00:03:00] for not only our Chef Mintos leadership team, but also the Dodgers organization for allowing me to create a vision and create an evolutionary,~ uh,~ specialty menu items within Dodger Stadium last year.

I'm really proud of the work that I've been able to do with. Both, both brands and create something culinary that was innovative and brought the Chef Meto brand to life with the Chef Meto and Dodger fans. And so that I'm definitely grateful for. 

Ramon Vela: Wow. Well I appreciate that. And ~uh, ~and thank you for sharing that.

You know, ~um, ~it really is, ~uh. ~I love what you said. I, it really, you know, comes to the core of the question is that,~ uh,~ and I like to, and I like what you just said. You have the, a privilege and a, and a responsibility to create great food, but you also serve a community that like expects this from you and, [00:04:00] and looks for it from you.

And to be grateful for that community, be grateful for the ability to do this. I think,~ um,~ I think I, I really like that and, and I like how, from that angle, I really like how,~ uh,~ it shows me that you feel responsible. And of course the organization feels responsible to create great products because they serve this community.

And,~ uh,~ and then of course, not only that, but your ancestors, right? Like your, your, your, your grandparents and et cetera. It's a way to, as you continue to build a company, it's a great way to honor them. Hardships and those struggles and you know, everything they did to have to, to create something like this.

So, ~um, ~I think this is wonderful. So thank you much so much for sharing that. And we're gonna get into this a little bit more too because I'd love to, I'd love to start a little bit with some of the origin story of the company so we don't have to go into huge detail. But,~ um,~ I think I would love to hear about how this all got [00:05:00] started, if you can share a little bit of that lore with us.

Lauren Corugedo: Yeah, absolutely. So authentic flavors have always been at the core of what Chef Meto does. My grandfather, PEO Garcia, Sr. You know, started the company in 1985 with the goal of sharing the bold, vibrant flavors he grew up with. He first created the Garnet Za seasoning with the goal to bring those rich, authentic tastes to families like ours, and the communities we're a part of.

That commitment to a, oh, 

Ramon Vela: sorry. Oh, no, no. Go ahead. I, I didn't mean to interrupt. I do have a follow up question, but go ahead. 

Lauren Corugedo: Yeah, so that commitment to authenticity, we haven't changed that one bit. I. We were, you know, especially with 40 years,~ um,~ later, you know, in our family founded business,~ uh,~ we're constantly working to preserve those flavors, making sure that we keep the same flavors while also adapting to, you know, modern tastes and trends that might be [00:06:00] happening.

Ramon Vela: So, ~um, ~just so I back up a little bit. 

Lauren Corugedo: Yeah. 

Ramon Vela: This is your grandfather, correct? 

Lauren Corugedo: Correct. So my, 

Ramon Vela: oh, go. 

Lauren Corugedo: My grandfather of Plinio Garcia Senior, he founded the business. ~Um, ~actually it was in the garage. 

Ramon Vela: And,~ uh,~ what background did he have? Like, I'm just kind of curious. Like, I know you're not, you're not in his head right now, but you, you probably heard this, you know what I mean?

Like, but I'm wondering, was he a butcher? Was he a chef? Was he a cook? Was he, you know, what, what was like the, the idea, where did he, where did the idea get sparked? 

Lauren Corugedo: He was a classic Osiro at home, so he cooked those flavors for his families. He ended up opening up a restaurant specifically with chicken in mind, and so he ended up closing shop just because it was very demanding on family life.

And then he brought those flavors back and there was just such a demand from all the. The people [00:07:00] who went to his restaurant. And so my grandmother ended up, you know, inspiring him to create the seasoning brand. And they started it right at home with just like their close family is building out, you know, all the different elements from the artist logo.

~Um, ~I think we had someone create that within the fame. We had something create. A theo created that within the family. Mm-hmm. We have pictures of my Theos, you know, doing the first run of the jar line. So everyone kind of helped build the business until it got off the ground and all the people would knock on the door asking for those particular flavors.

Ramon Vela: So, and it sounds like this is something that you grew up in, maybe running around the factory and, and out. 

Lauren Corugedo: Yes, I'm laughing because yes, there was family photos of me, you know, dressed up with like a sunflower hat and bringing my Barbies to the [00:08:00] factory with grandpa as he would, you know, back in those days, the restrictions or the laws weren't as,~ um,~ strength on, you know, him putting us on the forklift.

And so. It definitely has been a, you know, family business,~ um,~ from the ground up and, you know, just constantly evolving with all the different changes and trends. We even have someone, I think still to this day who she started out as the assistant and now she is, you know, helping run the HR department and just.

Always like protective and intentional about, you know, keeping the legacy of the brand alive as well. And it's really cool to still have a part that a part of the brand. 

Ramon Vela: Wow, that's fantastic. And where was it? ~Um, uh, ~started in what city or, and state? 

Lauren Corugedo: ~Um, ~so Los Angeles,~ um,~ specifically within the San Fernando Valley, I believe we started within Northridge, and then I've gone over to Van Nuys.

Ramon Vela: That's fantastic. Now,~ um,~ just to kind [00:09:00] of, you know, ~uh, ~provide a little perspective, I think is a lot, a lot of people, well, I, I, well, let me just say this. It is. Not as easy as people think to create seasonings and things like that, that are, that not only taste good, but you remind people of flavors that they love.

~Um, ~and you know, I have. Unfortunately, my mother and my grandmother, they're all passed away already, but I grew up eating Mexican food and so I, I remember all the flavors, all the things that they made, some stuff they made by hand,~ um,~ and some stuff, you know, like their. My other relatives or, or you know, other family friends, because growing up in a Mexican household, it was always about family.

We always had a lot of people around. We always ate with a lot of people. We always had gatherings and we ate a lot of food. And some, some [00:10:00] people had their specialties and like some people knew how to really make,~ uh,~ like fri beans really good. So good. You, like they were, you could just eat 'em by themselves.

Like they were so good. But I mean, it's not so easy because, you know, you know, nowadays I try different foods and there's lots of chi chili sauces on the market and all sorts of other stuff. And,~ uh,~ quite frankly, it's, it's just not that easy. It's, it's really hard, like there's so many products out there and it's really, really hard to do it.

And what would you say though. Like what has been your guide secret? Because 40 years is a long time. 40 years is, for me at least, tells me that there's some consistency. There's people who you know, who,~ uh,~ love the product and keep buying it. There's a reason why there's this longevity. What do you think is the secret to.

Lauren Corugedo: I think that's a great question. So my grandfather built Chef Rito in delivery. You [00:11:00] know, the best seasonings, spices, mena, Barings, brats, but it was with meticulous attention to detail and a very deep respect for traditional recipes. So we never compromised on quality. We made sure, you know, like one of the campaigns I started was like, you know, one thing that we can't always do here is to bring back time.

So for us, we wanted to maintain those same authentic flavors, but making sure that it was easy to use. Another thing too, is when we first developed the Gar Saada recipe, we were the market leader. You know, there wasn't anyone who had created or developed this product at that time. And so for us, I think we are now a trusted brand within our community.

We know the flavors that they're craving, that they're wanting, and we're here to innovate and deliver without, you know. [00:12:00] Changing any of those hardcore, those traditional recipes and maintaining true to those Mexican traditional flavors that we know and that we love. And especially as Angelenos, you know, we're all a little, we all have tried Mexican food and so I think, you know, it's near and dear to our heart to make sure that we maintain that and that we bring that to our community.

Ramon Vela: Yeah. 

Lauren Corugedo: We've always just been a household staple. I know before we had chatted, one thing that I always hear is just that, ~um. ~Is, you know, people come up to me at events and I don't think that they have any clue that I'm the crank, you know, the granddaughter of the founder. And it will just be a casual conversation.

Like, oh my gosh, I use that with my kids when in my aue I used to cook that for me, you know, back in the day. And so you can see that not only was it like family, but now as a generational,~ um,~ passing within multiple families across our [00:13:00] communities, which is just. Really rewarding. 

Ramon Vela: Mm-hmm. And, you know, and like I said, it, it's really difficult to create a really great product that has authentic flavors or, and reminds people of things that they,~ um,~ ate and, and you know, their family, their abuela, their parents, whatever.

And it's really difficult to do that. ~Um, ~and like I said, I've tried products where I think like I. I, I think to myself, like, have they ever tried Mexican food? Because this does not taste anything like, like anything that I've known or, you know, and, and tastes like. But I will tell you, so you sent me some products, which I'm really appreciative of.

This one is. The Adobo, right? Is that what it's called? Is that the name of this part? Yes. 

Lauren Corugedo: Adobo Para. Yeah. Yeah. 

Ramon Vela: And ~um, ~this one is fantastic. So I told you that I actually don't eat meat. I think I, I shared with you. Yeah. So, however, I am always looking for ways to. [00:14:00] Syrup,~ um,~ level up my vegetables, level, up the tofu level, you know, level.

~Uh, ~so I actually tried this in a couple of different ways and I'm, and, and by the way, I'm, I, I've been playing around with this, so I'm gonna, I'm gonna do some videos on it. So I did it two different ways. One is. I just to, I just,~ uh,~ tossed it in a frying pan and, and then tossed a little bit of this in there just to see what it tastes like and so forth.

~Uh, ~so I tried it that way and it was very good. And I've also tried it a second way, which is,~ um,~ I almost like marinated,~ uh,~ tofu,~ um,~ with this as well. And then on top of that, I baked it a little bit. In an oven. So that was actually when I think even better,~ uh,~ in terms of, in terms of the both ways, but either way.

Again, I'm not eating, I'm not eating meat. I'm using this for, you know, I'm using this as a, as a, as something to use. My tofu. It leveled it up a hundred percent. [00:15:00] I'm telling you, it was so fantastic because as a person who used to eat meat and used to eat kind of salad and used to eat,~ uh,~ BIA and used to eat, you know, ~uh, ~all these different, ~um.~

Foods. ~Um, ~I still have a little craving. I still wanna remember those flavors. I still wanna, I still wanna get, you know, have a little bit of that, you know, ~uh, ~flavor memory come back to me and things like this were just like, it's like a godsend because I don't have to go back and eat meat. I can add this and I can just like, wow.

It's like my kids were making fun of me. My wife was actually laughing because I was saying, you know, like, wow, I don't even have to eat. ADA to enjoy this. And they're laughing thinking like, yeah, actually you probably do. And I'm like, no, no, no. I'm, I'm perfectly happy with the tofu. But they, you know, if you do eat, you do eat Ada, you do eat any of this stuff.

~Um. ~It really is. This is, this is like, this is a great seasoning. [00:16:00] It is a great flavor. ~Uh, ~I know if you guys can see this on the video right now, but it is a great flavor. ~Uh, ~it really adds a lot to it. So anyhow, I just wanted to,~ uh,~ interject that right now and also let the audience know that you can go to chef marito com, chef marito.com.

I know I'm not pronouncing that. A hundred percent correctly, but I just wanna make sure the, the majority audience who probably doesn't speak Spanish understands this. Chef marito.com. That's chef and that's M-E-R-I-T-O do com. Chef marito.com is the website. So, ~um, ~so yeah, you must get that a lot. I mean, the flavors to me are just very authentic.

They're all,~ um,~ things that I remember tasting and, and I've had,~ uh,~ and like I said, again, it's really difficult to capture that taste,~ uh,~ and to be able to create, create it at scale. And I've tried lots of different products, especially new companies, and I just, a lot of times I just don't, it just doesn't come out the same.

So thank you for that. ~Um, ~but you know, from your [00:17:00] perspective, getting the word out. This, these amazing products. ~Um, ~I, I have some others that I'm gonna show you, show right now on the screen, but getting the word out, how do you trans, like what I just said, how are you able to translate that and, and, and mass communic communicate it to, to a wider audience?

Lauren Corugedo: Well one, thank you Raymond for trying it and I'm really excited. I love hearing your story about how you tried it. So many different ways, to be honest. It's always exciting to hear that, like especially, that's one thing I love about our product is that. You, it's so thin, like the meats will soak up the flavor and we always say like a little bit goes a long way.

So like you can put a little bit of it there and you can get so much flavor. It's such, so impactful. So I'm glad. Thank you for sharing, you know, your cooking experience. I'd love hearing that. ~Um, ~and I will say the. [00:18:00] So in terms of our retail strategy, it's, we're always trying to look and expand into making it more accessible into more households.

We know that this obviously has impactful flavor, so it's important to create, you know, key messaging, especially with the different trends we have, the pedia with,~ uh,~ the case of media trends. So that's something that we've definitely been pushing,~ um,~ and creating different. Definitely unique app, making sure that we have the distribution specifically for it.

So we currently have been coming more accessible into households through channels such as Amazon. We are now more, we are now available in Costco. We're also updated the Chef Mezo website to make everything more cohesive and accessible for fans to. ~Um, ~for fans to see video recipes, for them to understand how to make the product just like you had shared.

~Uh, ~we wanna make sure that fans [00:19:00] not. Not only have,~ uh,~ creative experience with the products, but that we're educating them. I mean, brand awareness, the head of distribution is always key in CPG. So I think that's something that we're very mindful of. We wanna make sure that our messaging is out there.

We're always innovating different ways based on the different products to make sure that we're creating strong strategic strategies to help push those products out. 

Ramon Vela: And, and how about like, ~um, ~so I have more questions about that, but I, I, let me ask you this one first. You know, the, the way that you discover products has changed a little bit, right?

Which is one of the reasons why I wanna do a video. ~Uh, ~'cause I have a unique, I have a kind of a unique way of how I. Prepare and marinate my tofu, like I put garlic balls. I, it's kind of, it's hard to explain, but I, I have this, this way I can do, I do it and I wanted to share it, especially do a video of me,~ uh,~ marinating the tofu [00:20:00] with this.

~Um. ~And so video I know kind of goes out and is more widespread, right? Like, I can, I can create a short, I can go on TikTok and go to, ~uh ~Instagram. I can go to YouTube and share those things. So. ~Um, ~I asked this a lot of times of, of brands who have been around a while, and by the way, I, I interviewed a chocolate brand that was,~ um,~ 300 years old, and that's the oldest company I've, I think I've ever,~ uh, uh, ~interviewed that they're, they started like 300 years ago, but you know, yours is a little bit more, you know, obviously more, ~uh.~

More common where there's a brand that's been around for 20 years, 30 years, 40 years. And obviously the way that we market has changed, right? Like I, you know, there was,~ uh,~ you know, retail places where people in were introduced to products, you know, in the market,~ um,~ you know, the little magazines,~ uh,~ direct mail, you know, all this other stuff.

And then now of course we're looking at other things. ~Um, ~how are you guys adapting to. The way that people are [00:21:00] discovering things now, like let's say for instance, TikTok or Instagram or any of those places.

Lauren Corugedo: ~Yeah. So one thing that I feel strongly about is making sure that we're, you know, on track with any of the trends that we have coming up. So, so we're, we're always ring. One thing that pause. ~

Ramon Vela: ~Sure. Pause. Bring you back in there. Grab these.~

~By the way, um, I, I'm doing a, um, I'm starting a, uh, uh, a live, uh, a live, um, sort of like a story of a brand live where, you know, uh, on certain days that we'll do a live and I'm just gonna showcase products. So sometimes I'll just showcase them. Sometimes I might do like a little quick, you know, um, you know, um.~

~Video of me cooking something if it's a food. So I'm definitely gonna include you guys in that. So, um, fyi. Um.~

Lauren Corugedo: ~This never fails. Yeah, ~

Ramon Vela: ~sorry about that.~

~Alright, so let me count this back in. And you wanna just go ahead and just start answering or do you want me to Um, yes, I can ~

Lauren Corugedo: ~go ahead. Okay. Um, okay, wait. So, lemme see. Okay. Yes. Got it. Thank you. Okay. ~

Ramon Vela: ~Alright, so that was a pause and lemme do count us back in. 1, 2, 3, go. ~

Lauren Corugedo: ~You know, Raymond, one thing I always say, especially in marketing, is that adaptability is key.~

~So being able to pivot within any of your digital or e-commerce strategies is essential. And so, you know, we're constantly doing AB testing to make sure that we, whatever ads that we what, whichever creative is gonna be performing at an optimal. And also, we are always.~

Ramon Vela: ~That's okay. ~

Lauren Corugedo: ~Sorry. ~

Ramon Vela: ~You wanna take a second or you good? ~

Lauren Corugedo: ~Yeah, let me just on that. Okay. I'm ready. ~

Ramon Vela: ~Okay, let's do it again. 1, 2, 3. Go. ~

Lauren Corugedo: ~One thing I always like to make sure that we have a part of our strategic plan is making sure that we are adaptable, and within that we have our strategic, uh, digital strategies that we definitely align ourselves with.~

~Okay. Pause. I'm so sorry. ~

Ramon Vela: ~Oh, it's okay. You wanna move on to a different question or Well remind question because ~

Lauren Corugedo: ~I liked it. ~

Ramon Vela: ~Well, I was, uh, I think it was a little longer, but the, the actual question was like, how, um, can we see ~

Lauren Corugedo: ~it? ~

Ramon Vela: ~Yeah. How are you adapting to the way people are discovering products now?~

~Like for instance, TikTok and things like that. ~

Lauren Corugedo: ~Okay. ~

Ramon Vela: ~Okay. You want me to come back in or you want me to ask a ~

Lauren Corugedo: ~question? Okay. Yes, I'll go ahead. ~

Ramon Vela: ~Okay. Pause. 1, 2, 3. Go.~

Lauren Corugedo: So as a marketer, we are always. Looking at food trends, looking at digital trends, one of the things that you always need to have in your toolkit is being able to pivot and being on your feed and having the flexibility to change things. As marketers, we're doing AB testing and on our digital and social platforms, especially to test with what's going to resonate with our audience members.

I think being dialed into our community has been essential and our success. Our secret recipe and to us being ahead of the trends. And so, you know, one of the things for us that was really. Really interesting was that we had this at Theia product before we had the Vidia explosion. And so we've always been behind the scenes creating our [00:22:00] traditional flavors and then bringing them to market.

So for us, we've been the market leader in that space, which has been, I think, the success story for us. As a brand, and also we're constantly innovating behind the scenes and investing in our people to make sure that we flavor experts. And I think that's just truly been that secret ingredient. 

Ramon Vela: Mm-hmm. You know, and I, I really feel like a product like yours really can, can thrive with user gen, user generated content, because.

I mean, just the way we were talking a second ago, like what I said about the brand, and then you mentioned how you get feedback sometimes when you're out at events and whatnot, and people tell you how, how, how nostalgic they are about the brand or how, how great it tastes like capturing that. It just feels like to me, like, ~uh, ~running some sort of campaign or some sort of effort around capturing that user generated content, [00:23:00] which.

Godsend in, in terms of having that social con, that content you can then share and you're getting this like really authentic. Feedback from people that you're sharing because this, you know, food has a way of really bringing out,~ um,~ a lot of emotions and memories, you know, good times, things like that. And people love to share, you know, like their foodies or whatever they love to share, like what they just ate and how they taste it and how authentic it was and all, all the good stuff.

So, I don't know,~ uh,~ I'm assuming that that's part of your strategy, but it just feels like that's like a natural right. 

Lauren Corugedo: It is a natural fit, exactly what you're saying. ~Um, ~I mean, chef Benito, that built on word of mouth and social media has now become, you know, word of mouth. Product education is essential and key, and it's one of the best avenues to showcase how easy our product is to use, you know, how authentic the [00:24:00] flavors are.

The versatility of each one of our products. Just like you had shared Raymond, about how you use the ADO edia, not necessarily on meat. You use it in other avenues. And so for us that's a, that's an easy and no-brainer resource for us to utilize. Within our toolkit, we also love it. Just like word of mouth has changed so much and now you know, influencers are showcasing our products and so it's definitely essential to make sure that our audiences knows we're dialed in.

You know what's crazy Raymond? Mm-hmm. Is actually last year we, we created a pro, we created a specialty menu item at Dodger Stadium with the fan engage asking with the Ashley Dodger fans requesting on social media for a Japanese Mexican. Specialty menu item. Mm-hmm. So it was the first ever [00:25:00] Japanese Mexican fusion item at the stadium, and it was just something we were so proud of just because we were able to tap into.

A new culinary,~ uh,~ cuisine for us and tap into chefs that maybe we hadn't utilized before or thought of and created something just super special and unique that was innovative. It brought fans, you know, to taste something new. It elevated the experience at Dodges Stadium and it also just brought, you know, that authentic, we kept it.

You know, authentic to our roots. And it was a ponzu asada fries. So we incorporated the stadium effect with the fry, the stadium, you know, stadium favorites. Mm-hmm. Such as the fries. And then we had the ponzu asada, so we had the asada in there. And so it was the perfect fusion. And ~uh, ~you know, that's something that I just feel a bit elevated as well.

Ramon Vela: Wow. I love that. And actually that's, that, that,~ uh,~ is a good segue to my next question [00:26:00] that I was going to ask you, whi, which is, you know, you have these really,~ um,~ all the traditional one, you know, ~uh, ~seasonings and so forth. This is the stake in meat seasoning. You also sent me the chicken seasoning there.

I'm showing who are on video listen video

showing some of the on the screen right now. This one is the red fajitas. Seasoning, which by the way, if you're at home and you, you have limited cooking skills like I do. You know, using something like this to kind of add flavor to what you're doing is, is really a godsend,~ uh,~ in many ways because,~ uh,~ it kind of makes your food tastes really good, even though you're not really that good of a cook.

That's the beauty of, of really good seasoning or sauce. This one is the, a meat marinade. So lemme see. Oh, there it goes. ~Um, ~and then of course I have,~ uh,~ the chicken marinade, which you sent me over here. And then we, we also have [00:27:00] what I showed earlier, which is the,~ uh,~ adobo. And this one is the one that I've tried and this is so good.

I'm gonna try 'em all. But I,~ uh,~ I started off with this one,~ um,~ one. So my question is about innovation. So innovation can happen, I guess, in different ways. Like you can create new seasonings, like these are all traditional and these fantastic, but innovation could, could, could be in new seasonings, but also in new ways of using the seasonings.

Sort of like what you just mentioned. At Dodger Stadium and ~uh, ~and I think those fusion combinations are fantastic. Like I've tried like Mexican and Korean food and some of the others. ~Um, ~it's just fantastic. I mean, adding two different flavors and two different area, you know, ~uh, ~places,~ um,~ I think are amazing.

Which by the way, there's some other ethnic foods that have a lot of. Hot, spicy food in them too. Which reminds, which makes me think that there's also a market for this and [00:28:00] overseas potentially. And for other people who are like, let's say, used to eating Filipino food or used to eating, ~um. Uh, ~Korean food, like some, some of the spiciness of that.

It just feels like this is also a great product for them to use, like for them to, to kind of like start innovating on their own. But,~ um,~ let's talk a little bit more about innovation. ~Um, ~are you guys looking into new seasonings or to,~ uh,~ or into new collaborations like with you have with the Dodgers?

Lauren Corugedo: Great question. So, chef Rizzo has been an innovator since the beginning. ~Um, ~we're always saying, like I said before, we were always saying true to those traditional recipes and we're innovating behind the scenes. ~Um, ~something that may be, you know. Chef Marito fans utilize us as a brand on the retail side for the consumer.

But ~on the B2B side, we're constantly intubating with new flavors. So you might actually happen to try a flavor add, you know, maybe like your favorite Roissy chicken and it's suddenly Chipotle, you know, chicken ch uh, Chipotle flavor. And it actually might be made with Chef Meto at the grocery store. So one thing that we wanna.~

~Okay, pause. ~

Ramon Vela: ~Sure. ~

Lauren Corugedo: ~Yeah. ~

Ramon Vela: ~You want a second to think about it? ~

Lauren Corugedo: ~Yes.~

Ramon Vela: ~Okay. Let me cut. Pause. Okay. One, two, uh, pause. 1, 2, 3. Go. ~

Lauren Corugedo: ~Yes, so Chef Marito has always been a mark and waiter, so innovation is always key and essential in our secret ingredient. Um, ~on the B2B side, we have actually, and that made quite a few investments and efforts, and especially with production capacity to help meet the growing [00:29:00] man.

So. Consumers may not know. Chef may know Chef Petto as the, you know, Ang seeds name that you just held up and all those flavors. But behind the scenes we are innovators,~ um,~ especially on the B2B side, creating flavors like Chipotle and lemon and pepper, chicken. We're creating a couple different other flavors and we create customized, personalized solutions for our clients at best.

And so we're constantly always innovated in that sense. 

Ramon Vela: ~Um, ~so. One of the things I wanted to find out,~ um,~ because you just mentioned it and it was a good question. It was a good,~ uh,~ good thing that you mentioned it because I was gonna ask about this. So you have the CPGs or the direct to consumer side,~ um,~ whether that's on,~ um,~ online, you've got the retail space.

Correct. If I'm, please correct me if I'm wrong, re the retail space and then you also have the B2B side. Right. So that's. People making foods or [00:30:00] restaurants and things like that. ~Um, ~that's so interesting. What side, which,~ um,~ outta curiosity, which is the most active side of the business? Is it the B2B side?

Is it the,~ uh,~ retail side, direct to consumer side? 

Lauren Corugedo: You, it's both. I actually, and we make strong investments in both of those. And,~ um,~ some of our products when we recognize, you know, we're innovating behind the zines, and so when we recognize that those products will be successful on the B2B side, we'll launch those and then if we recognize that they'll be successful on the B2C side, then we'll launch those into the retail space as well.

Ramon Vela: Yeah, and you know what's kind of interesting is. A lot of times I might,~ uh,~ a company might say, oh, we started off as direct to consumer and then now we're on retail. And they may not have a B2B side, but they, they start off with D two C and then they went into retail. ~Um. ~One of the things they always say is that [00:31:00] the, the direct to consumer side was a great start because it provided them with direct feedback in terms of their products, like how they were used and how did they taste, and should they, you know, change the, the formulation or the formulas or the recipes or things like that.

And it feels like you guys, you. Areas to pull feedback from. You have the, you, you have a direct side, which you know, your consumers can talk to you directly about the products that they use, whether it's leaving comments on Amazon or on the website and so forth. Or you and or you have now the B2B side where you actively have companies using your products and they can provide feedback as to like.

Is this taste good? Is it working? You know, is it, is there a better, you know, is it,~ uh,~ you know, is there some changes you can make to the recipes because of, you know, when you're using them on a day-to-day basis, they can give you that feedback. Like, are they [00:32:00] working? Do they work great? You know, do they need, do they need to,~ uh, um, ~be more, you know, should.

Work with higher heat or whatever, like if they're in a restaurant and they're dealing with frying foods and everything. So there's just all sorts of feedback you can get from that, which I find amazing. Like most companies might have just like one set of feedback. You have basically two, two different sides of,~ uh,~ of places where you can grab that customer feedback.

Lauren Corugedo: Correct. We,~ um,~ so it's, it's interesting, Raymond, because. We have, you know, a specialized team on innovation where we meet weekly and we have flavor testings internally to make sure that the product is up to par on both respects. And,~ uh,~ and like you kind of touched on, we have different. We have different consumers and different [00:33:00] strategies for both of those.

And so one of those things, it will definitely look different on both sides and both pieces. For the B2B side, we can create, you know, more personalized. We can have the particular client come in and provide feedback on specific, you know, things that they're needing or that they're wanting. And it's an, you know, ever.

Going conversation between the two to make sure we come up with the proper flavor. One thing that I really pride ourself on is that we are like your trusted meat flavor experts. And so when we go in there, we have this knowledge with, like we touched on the Mexican foods, we're trained, you know, we have some meat flavor experts that are trained in Mexico specifically to make sure our marinades are those authentic tastes and that authentic taste along with.

Making sure that the marinade is, like I touched on, gonna go a long way. So what flavors are gonna help accent to help reach [00:34:00] our end goal on what the end product is gonna taste and be like for each of those consumers. So whether it's B two Bean or B2C. And, 

Ramon Vela: and I love this, this notion that you have this idea or this thing that you do with which have people go to Mexico and, and, and,~ uh,~ and look for innovation because that's kind of why, you know, people using products are using ingredients in different ways.

They're all creating stuff. ~Um, ~you know, whenever I go to Mexico and I always see how, you know. So many have their own unique way of doing things and are trying things and innovating on the fly and so forth. ~Um, ~so it's great that you have a team that's kind of like, you know, on the ball and all of that because there's just so many ways to innovate.

~Um, ~I had a woman who, ~um. ~Runs a, a brand called Molly. Molly. B's Molly, yeah. Molly B's Cookies, I think is the name of the brand. Ooh. Very interesting founder. But she is like, so creative. Like she [00:35:00] created cookies with,~ um,~ those boba balls, you know, the, the Boba. They're called Boba Doles. I think she even creates these really cool names.

But I mean, she's always innovating. Like, she's always like, how, how can we take this cookie and turn it into something really interesting? ~Uh, ~so there's just all sorts of ways to doing, to doing innovation. ~Um. ~I think, and I would imagine that there's probably people creating, using your products to create all sorts of different things.

Like, you know, like for instance, like, I'm just doing tofu, which isn't hugely innovative, but there's, there's probably people doing all sorts of really weird and crazy things. Like, do you, what would you,~ uh,~ what do you recall any, anything that kind of surprised you on how people were using your products?

Lauren Corugedo: Yes. So yes and no. I think ~one thing that calls out to me, okay, pause. Sorry. ~

Ramon Vela: ~It's all right.~

~Oh, lemme pause. Yeah, pause. 1, 2, 3, go. ~

Lauren Corugedo: One thing that I love about our fans is that they're constantly creating something innovative. [00:36:00] Sometimes I get ideas from the fans on recipes that we should be, you know, posting or creating. And so that's one thing I definitely love. But we also like to be culinary innovators and so we, we wanna make sure that we're providing our fans with a unique.

Experience and showcasing the versatility of our products. And so like last night we actually posted in Ahi Tuna to, which is like a great combination of, you know, you have your classic to, and then you have your AHI tuna. So it's something that we like to have, be playful with, with our products and so let people have fun.

One thing that you know. I love to say is always like with Chef Meto, it brings out the chef in you and that's what we wanna do with our product. So anything that you use, it can have multiple ways. One of the things I love that I actually use is like our Cornish. She is probably an underrated product [00:37:00] and I actually like to spice up my broccoli.

It's not spicy, let me say that. But I like to spice up the broccoli with it just because it gives it this, this powerful flavor that is bold and authentic and just something better than having plain old broccoli. Yeah. So it's really nice to do something like that and yeah. 

Ramon Vela: Yeah. And what seasoning do you use for that?

Lauren Corugedo: That one's a Cornish hen. 

Ramon Vela: Oh, Cornish hen. Okay. Well, that's good to know because I, I love broccoli and I'm always.

I mean like, it's like I remember when I was kid that my mother to do all sorts weird things,~ um,~ innovate a lot of times just to kind of like. Get her children to eat certain things. Like when I was a kid, when I was really very young,~ um,~ I,~ uh,~ I would like, I wanted to eat hot dogs. Thateveryone was like, I don't want to eat this Mexican food.

~Um, ~and there's a lot of American type of. Food that I never had until I was much [00:38:00] older, like a meatloaf. I never knew what a meatloaf was, or I didn't even, I didn't even, I've never tasted one until like, was in my early twenties or late, late teens when I went to a friend's house,~ um,~ who wasn't Latino. And they were having that, and I was like, wow, that's, that's really, it's a great flavor.

Like my mom would never do that, but, ~um. ~She would do really weird stuff, like I loved hot dogs and so she, and I didn't really like, like chicken. I was like, I don't wanna eat chicken and so forth. So she would take this red mole that she would make and then she would almost like use it as a marinade and hot dogs.

And then she would make the, you know, I've never even heard anyone doing this before, but it's just a simple marinade, right? Like you just create it. And then, and then, and then she would also then. Marinated in there, but then when it was done, she would also then put some more of the mole sauce on it. So I would have these instead of like chili dogs, I'd have like these mo hot dogs.

So, ~um, ~it's just weird stuff like that that I, you know, like I remember, ~um. ~[00:39:00] Forcing my mom to, to do other stuff than, than she, which she would prefer, which was like chicken or something in the MO or whatnot. ~Um, ~and of course, you know, like there's also different types of mos. There's like, you know, chocolate mo and all that other stuff.

~Um, ~yeah. So there's just all sorts of really great ways to do it. ~Um, ~and I can't wait to, to experiment on my own. As well. ~Um, ~one thing I wanna make sure, and lemme just give the website out again,~ uh,~ the website if you wanna take a look at what we've been talking about is chef marito com. Chef marito com, that's the word, chef.

And then, ~uh. ~I do com. ~Um, ~if you want to take a look at the different products we've been talking about,~ um,~ I wanna make sure that people know after listening to what we've been discussing, they know where to buy it. ~Um, ~is this available nationwide? 

Lauren Corugedo: This is available in Amazon. It's available on the website.

It's also available in predominantly Hispanic grocery stores along with Kroger,~ uh,~ not [00:40:00] nationwide entirely. We have still yet to tackle this northeast region of the United States, but you'll find it in the majority of the of the United States. 

Ramon Vela: So if someone for, you know, like let's say they're in New Jersey, they're somewhere in the northeast.

If they don't have a store that currently carries this, they can order it. Amazon or,~ um,~ or online,~ uh,~ at the, at the,~ uh,~ chef marito.com website. 

Lauren Corugedo: Yes, they can. 

Ramon Vela: All right. Well that's good to know. ~Um, ~yeah, and then of course, you know, ~um, ~there's all sorts of other marketplaces I'm sure that you guys will eventually get down to like Walmart and things like that.

~Um, ~but that's good to know and I'm glad that you are available for folks. ~Um, ~do you guys get very much international,~ uh,~ requests? 

Lauren Corugedo: We do, we ha we are actually in a chain called Cali Max in Baja, California. Mm-hmm. So, yes. 

Ramon Vela: Well, I'm curious too, [00:41:00] like from,~ um,~ overseas, you know, like in the EU and Ireland and ~uh, ~Dublin and, you know, ~um, ~you know, Scotland, I mean, and ~um, ~you know, other places like that.

Do you ever get people,~ um,~ from that part of the world? 

Lauren Corugedo: Yes, 

Ramon Vela: we do because I, I mean, I have friends and I also do,~ um,~ I have friends who live in the eu and I also have brands that I've interviewed in the eu, EU who, who sell here in the United States. And sometimes we get talking and many of 'em love Mexican food.

~Uh, ~they just don't have. The ability to, like, their, their Mexican food is limited where they are. ~Uh, ~not like what we have here in Los Angeles. I'm in Los Angeles as well. ~Um, ~so they don't have that benefit, but they say when they are here, they love to go out to Mexican food. And,~ um,~ and now I know to, to direct them someplace and say, well, if you wanna taste of, you know, Mexican food at home, try some of this stuff.

~Um, ~and I'm just. People, more people know about this stuff. You, you might even get an international reputation, so who knows? ~Um, ~but I wanna be respectful [00:42:00] of your time,~ um,~ and I wanna make sure that we, they, the audience knows again, where to go. We'll just repeat what we just said a second ago. But was there any last words that you wanna leave with the audience?

Anything you want them to know about the ingredients or about,~ uh,~ any of the other products or, and, or actually, you know, we'll. If you go to the Chef Marito website,~ um,~ where, or if, if someone goes to the Chef Marito website, what do you want them to try first? If this is their first sort of introduction to Chef Marito?

Is there a place I. 

Lauren Corugedo: Okay, so this is always a question that I ask, like, what do they like to cook the most? So, so let's say you like to make a lot of fish tacos at night. Highly recommend the fish seasoning. If you like to make, you know, if you typically grill like a lot of chicken, highly recommend the chicken marinade, the chicken seasoning.

Or for starters,~ um,~ if you like to cook a lot of meat, highly recommend meat Marade the meat. [00:43:00] Seasoning. I think that's something that I love about our products is like each one does have a strong flavor. You can always mix and match. That's always like a great benefit because each one has such a unique flavor.

I. For me, I would definitely start with our bestsellers. The, the meat seasoning and the chicken seasoning. Those are always a strong baseline. You get a great variety of each, different flavor from each one, so each one's gonna be very unique. I. And they're great to do in the Crom cot in, you know, your Insta,~ uh,~ the Instapot as well.

Mm-hmm. And all those different tools. Also, baking is super easy, just makes it super flavorful and Softing as well. So those are some of the ones that I would definitely start with, and each on our website as well is really. We have it perfectly programmed where you can even check out some recipe videos as you're checking out the product description and how to use.

So just to make it even [00:44:00] simple and flavorful, just right at home. 

Ramon Vela: And do you have any,~ uh,~ assortment packs? Or variety. Yeah. 

Lauren Corugedo: Yeah. So we have a, this one's so easy. So we have three for 25 ounces of our marinades. And so that one you can choose, pick and choose. You can get meat, fajitas, chicken. So that one's great.

We also have the,~ uh,~ seasoning one as well. Combo pack of two large, and then you can mix and match. So let's say you wanna try the, ~uh. ~For example, the chicken seasoning or the meat seasoning. You can do both of those and then you can get a little sample of both and see which flavors your favorite. So yeah, we have those.

Ramon Vela: Wow. Well, I look forward to trying more of the products that you sent me. ~Um, ~and I. Seeing how they taste. ~Uh, ~my wife said she's also, I wanted to keep them some of these unopened until we did the interview, but I plan to do some videos and like I said, I might do some live with this as well. And I definitely wanna share my, my version of tofu [00:45:00] adobo,~ uh,~ Vidia, and, ~uh.~

I think people are really gonna enjoy it. But I mean, if you eat meat, obviously this is probably really good for you, like if you like media to begin with. ~Um, ~but,~ uh,~ these are fantastic. ~Um, ~I can't wait to dive into them and they sound amazing. And just the one that I use,~ um,~ really levels up. The food, and this is what I love about a really good seasoning, especially if it's authentic and it tastes traditional and it has these wonderful flavors to it in that,~ um,~ it just uplevels anything you're eating.

Whether it's the meat, whether it's the vegetables like you talked about,~ uh,~ the broccoli with the Cornish hand seasoning,~ uh,~ whatever that is, just makes it. Tastes a little better. And I, for one, love to eat whole foods. I eat a lot of vegetables and ~uh, ~I do eat to tofu as well, but I eat lots of vegetables and I do eat fish, so I'm always looking for ways to kind of like mix it up and make ta,~ uh,~ add different flavors, different tastes, and so forth.

So I'm always looking for that and I think I found a really good brand to do that. So thank you. I really do feel like [00:46:00] this. ~Um, ~meets our tagline, which is products we're buying, brands we're supporting, and,~ um,~ and I plan on doing more,~ uh,~ more,~ uh,~ posts on this,~ uh,~ and share this with others. So thank you so much for being on the show.

Thank you so much for sharing,~ uh,~ not only just about the products, but about your family history and, and all of that. So, ~uh, ~I really appreciate you making time for us. 

Lauren Corugedo: Well, thank you so much, Raymond. It was so lovely meeting you and being able to have the opportunity to come on your show and being able to talk about Chef Meto.

Chef Meto, you know, know it has been a Latino family fan, the brand brand since 1985 with our signature ADA always leading the way, and now 40 years later, we're still serving on bold, authentic flavors to our communities and so we're always trying to deliver. To what you're craving. 

Ramon Vela: Wow. And,~ um,~ can you make sure that,~ uh,~ what is the social media handle?

Lauren Corugedo: Yes. So for Instagram it's gonna be Chef [00:47:00] Marito. And for TikTok it's gonna be Chef Marito sees things. 

Ramon Vela: All right, great. Well, everyone, we're gonna have the link to the website and all as well as the social media handles on our podcast description, which you could find at Spotify, apple. Those are the two big ones.

But you can listen to this podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts. Simply type in the story of a brand show and you should be able to find it. Plus news.

Talking about the products,~ uh,~ and maybe even see me cook some food. ~Um, ~you know, ~uh, ~I don't, I don't know about that a hundred percent, but I may try that. I may not go well, but I'm gonna try it. ~Uh, ~but beyond that, everyone,~ uh,~ definitely go out and visit. This is really,~ uh,~ of the products I've tasted there are really amazing.

I've tried lots of different seasoning,~ um,~ because I'm always looking to uplevel my food, my vegetables, my tofu, my, the fish I eat. And it is really hard to find really good [00:48:00] if you're looking for Mexican seasonings and things like that. It's really hard to find something really, really good. ~Uh, ~this definitely, like I said, meets my criteria of a product we're buying brand, we're supporting.

Taste great. I can't wait to taste the other ones 'cause I'm sure they'll do well. But the Adobo pot media really is a great,~ uh,~ a great product. So go, go give it a try. ~Um, ~thank you again, Lauren, for being on the show. 

Lauren Corugedo: Thank you again, Raymond. I'm so excited to see Chef Raymond cooking something up with Chef.

So I'm excited for these videos, so make sure to let me know how everything comes out, tastes, and yes, I love that you're being so versatile with all of your products. I mean, one thing I did wanna also mention too is one combination that is my favorite, especially four. Fish, but I, especially since you're now cooking vegetarian, you gotta try it.

So it's our shrimp recipe with our,~ uh,~ fish seasoning. The two [00:49:00] combos are really impactful. So I'm excited to hear what you cook up next. So thank you for having me. 

Ramon Vela: That's so fantastic. I love that. Thank you for that tip. ~Uh, ~and every now there you should, you really need to,~ uh,~ play around with this stuff as well and,~ uh,~ and send us.

You know, any concoctions or recipes or co ~uh, ~combinations that you've made, I'd love to hear 'em. And if you're vegetarian or plant-based and you're using these, I'd love to hear your recipes too. 'cause I'm always looking for new ways to cook up food. ~Uh, ~beyond that, everyone go to the website. Chef marito.com.

Chef M-E-R-I-T o.com is the website. I'm sure you're gonna love it. Go check it out. Beyond that, everyone, stay safe, stay sane, stay healthy. And one last thing, we've all been going through something crazy since the pandemic, whether it's pandemics and economics and tariffs or whatever, all sorts of stuff going on, let's just do ourselves a favor.

Everyone is stressed. Let's just remember that and let's just be kinder to each other, remembering that. Going through something. [00:50:00] So, and I know if we, if we can do that, we can make this human experience a better one beyond that. Thank you from listen episode of.