Interview with the Founder of Freaky Sauces

In 2023, Famadillo interviewed Freaky Sauces founder Behrang Bandali about building a Swedish hot-sauce brand influenced by both Swedish and Persian flavors.

From Consulting to Food Entrepreneurship

“I studied Business for 5-6 years and pursued the typical office job in the Consulting industry. However, I soon realized that it wasn’t the path I wanted for the next 40 years of my life. So, I decided to follow my true passion, which is food. Even though I had no formal background in the food industry, I spent a good 1.5 years learning about it while building my products and brand,” explained the founder.

Swedish and Persian Influences

Freaky Sauces’ Lingon & Blueberry hot sauce reflected Bandali’s Swedish and Persian background. “I wanted my first products to mirror my own cultural backgrounds. I was born in Sweden to Iranian/Persian parents. A part of me is Swedish, and another part is Persian. This is something that I wanted to celebrate and embrace in my products. There’s nothing more Swedish than Lingonberries, so it was a no-brainer for me! And obviously, it’s delicious and gives the hot sauce a touch of fruity acidity which I enjoy,” the founder explained.

Introducing Hot Sauce to Swedish Shoppers

Bandali described the challenge of introducing hot sauce in Sweden, where he said spicy foods were less commonly embraced. “We don’t have a culture of eating spicy food here in Sweden. So people are a bit afraid of hot sauces and other spicy condiments. The idea with the sauces is that they should be spicy, but not crazy hot. You should still be able to taste your own food and not only think about the heat. So it took a while to get the first customers since I’m doing tasting sessions in the supermarkets all the time. And the reactions there are really good! And now I can see some recurring sales from those supermarkets, which is super-fun! :)” the founder shared enthusiastically.

Future Product Plans

At the time of the 2023 interview, Freaky Sauces was considering additional products and package sizes. “New products are always fun and exciting. But the brand is still very new, so I think it’s really important to build the brand initially with fewer products. Then, when the brand gets more recognized, it’s time to extend the portfolio of products. But with that said, I have plans to make a Green hot sauce to create a cool ‘Traffic Light’ display on the shelves. A herby/limey story. Also, I want to launch the sauces in smaller bottles so that they are more accessible for first-time customers who prefer to spend less on a product they’ve never tried,” revealed the founder.

This 2023 interview reflects Freaky Sauces’ early brand story, initial product lineup and expansion plans at the time. Current products, availability and distribution should be checked against the company’s latest information. For another hot-sauce perspective, see our Chilli No. 5 hot sauce review.