Steve Boeger, Executive Chef of Hendersonville (N.C.) Country Club, created a house spice rub members can purchase for $9 a tin.
About four years ago, I began making an in-house hot sauce for our members here at Hendersonville CC. The project came as a result of a really strong relationship I have with some fantastic farmers and growers locally. I would make and bottle a different batch every year around October. I produced roughly 240 bottles each time and I’d give them away to members to increase engagement and give them something a little extra special to add value to their membership.
It worked well and I started to develop a cult following within our membership.
More and more members would stop me and ask me how I seasoned our fish, steak, vegetables and fries. I decided to take a play out of my hot sauce book and create an Everything Spice Rub that we could share with our membership. I began working with a spice company to develop the proprietary recipe. We went back and forth three or four times to refine it. First, there was too much heat, then not enough sweetness. Finally, after almost two months of refinement, we finally had a formula that I really loved.
Chef Steve’s Everything Spice Rub is kind of like a really good steak seasoning however it has more acidity, which we achieved by adding balsamic powder. I added sweetness with brownulated sugar, too. When I added the cardamom, the spice really started taking shape. I opted for less sodium content and the final result is basically a steak seasoning on steroids. There is lots of umami—and the members love it.
We released the rub during COVID and not long after our members started asking to buy 2, 4, 6, and even 8 tins at a time. We sell it for $9 a tin—assuming I can remember the member’s number when I give it to them—and we’ve sold about 180 tins so far.
Where we go from here, I’m not yet sure. But I’m proud of how this program facilitates an experience and a point of pride that our members can share with other people outside the walls of the club. Anytime I can find a clever way to give our members something they can’t get anywhere else, it inspires and excites me.