Johnny Ray got his nickname in college and has kept it through his competitive BBQ career where he developed his Signature Sauces. His three original Sauces are available at Provisions Waxhaw and include Ten Bones, Bourbon Peach, and West Texas Heat. While he started producing nine bottles to batch, he now makes 125 gallons per batch to keep up with demand. His company also does tastings and was recently at Provisions Waxhaw showing off their sauces including Ten Bones with a bourbon honey base with a medium heat and lots of flavor. It is amazing on grilled chicken or meatballs, one of Johnny’s wife’s favorite uses. The Bourbon Peach is a mild sauce made with peach preserve from North Carolina peaches. The West Texas Heat is bold and spicy with more heat and, less sweet than the other offerings but is not a hot sauce.

Johnny Ray started selling his sauces at his friend’s butcher shop in Mooresville in order to pay for all of the competitions. While his sauces are available at several retailers, he loves having them in local markets like Provisions. Johnny Ray says, “As quickly as my company is growing, the backbone is still the independent businesses who took a chance on an small company. I couldn’t do it without the local stores.”