We were lucky to catch up with Donald Catchings recently and have shared our conversation below.

Donald, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

In my family, beloved foods are hidden in the back of refrigerators and guarded from hungry eyes. From Papa’s barbecue sauce to Granny’s banana pudding, we take our cherished foods seriously. For Thanksgiving 2023, I prepared a rack of beef ribs with an original seasoning blend that I have used for years on my own food. I hoped my family would enjoy them and, as we do, offer critique. If not, more ribs for me. What I did not expect was the resulting wide-eyed bites of delight and numerous requests for these ribs to be made again for Christmas dinner. Though I was unsatisfied that I was left little in the way of leftovers, I was happy about the thought that I must have something special hidden in my original rub.

As a small business owner, my first instinct to their positive reaction was that I should write down the recipe and bottle this rub as a product to sell. With my previous business experience, I set out to create a business focusing on great flavor in Texas barbecue blends. The first thing I needed was a business name. As a writer, this sort of thing typically comes easily for me, but I was having a hard time thinking of something I loved. Making light of my momentary lack of creativity, my wife began sarcastically offering names such as Rub Me Tender and Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Rub. Then, in a moment of pure genius, she suggested Always in Season.

With our experience selling at local farmer’s markets, my wife and I had a general understanding of how to quickly and efficiently set up our small business and present a quality product to potential customers. In the week following Thanksgiving, I searched for the best prices before ordering ingredients and packaging, asking family members to offer insight on details such as container size and preferable product prices based on their shopping preferences. My wife designed a brand logo, ordered basic marketing materials, and booked our first farmer’s market for mid-December.

With a single product, The Original Rub, Always in Season’s reception was positive and enthusiastic.

Since setting up with one product at our first local market in December 2023, Always in Season now has over forty products, most of which are organic, ranging from rubs and seasonings to sauces, marinades, extracts, and even fruit butters. As in the beginning, we continue to strive for great flavor in every product.

Donald, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Always in Season is a small business based in Conroe, Texas. We create seasoning blends, barbecue sauces, hot sauces, fruit butters, and more. Our products are made with consumers’ health in mind, with no added preservatives and natural sweeteners such as local honey. Most of our original recipes are made with certified organic ingredients. We’re proud of the products we create, not only for their delicious flavor profiles and ease of use but also their ingredients. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or are looking for quick additions to busy weeknight dinners, Always in Season’s products are created to bring great flavor to every meal.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

When the thought of starting a cottage food business came to mind, I knew it would be a family venture I shared with my wife and children. My wife and I started our first business together in 2020, with Always in Season following a few years later in 2023. Always in Season is a family-owned and operated business, which includes the assistance, salesmanship, and taste-testing expertise of our three children. As adults, spouses, and parents, my wife and I have learned and grown over the years, but never more than as business partners navigating the running of both family and business out of the home we’ve made together.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

With the majority of Always in Season’s sales taking place at farmer’s markets and similar market events, outside factors greatly affect the success of our business. In a perfect world, we would set up for a day of sales under a partly cloudy sky with a light breeze and a plethora of customers with money to spend. In reality, we strive to always be as prepared as we can be. We battle the Texas heat of summer with battery-operated fans, plenty of water, and a cooler of fresh fruit. In the unpredictable, wet winter, we layer warm clothes, use heaters or hand warmers, and keep mugs of hot coffee on hand. On windy days, we work alongside fellow market vendors to keep each other and shoppers safe. As small business owners, we understand that consumers fluctuate their spending habits, so we strive to offer products that meet a basic need, healthy food at a reasonable price. At times, a lack of sales, unsuccessful events, and miserable weather are frustrating circumstances to endure; however, we set up again the next time and pray for a day of success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alwaysinseasontx.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alwaysinseasontx
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alwaysinseasontexas
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@alwaysinseasontx

Image Credits

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