We were lucky to catch up with Ray Sheehan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ray, thanks for joining us today. Let’s go back in time to when you were an intern or apprentice – what’s an interesting story you can share from that stage of your career?

I had a burning desire to learn all that I could about food, so much so that I went to the most highly regarded restaurant on the Jersey shore, which at the time was rated in Gourmet Magazine’s Top Tables, and convinced Chef-Owner Chris Mumford to allow me to apprentice there. I would come to the restaurant after working my regular job as a baker from 4 am until noon to receive hands on training in a no-nonsense kitchen. It was an experience that I am grateful for to this day. I learned important knife skills, sauce making, and how to develop my palate. I gained a much deeper respect for food and where it comes from. Chris was way ahead of his time. Equipped with a smoker out back and cultivating a 1 ½ acre organic garden, his restaurant, Mumford’s Unique American Cuisine, was creating a farm-to-table dining experience, over 2 decades ago. This experience set me on a path to culinary school where I learned the finer points of French cuisine. During and after my formal education, I worked in many facets of the food industry, holding every position from dishwasher up to chef. Were it not for the solid foundation this apprenticeship afforded me, I would not be where I am today.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

From a young age I spent countless hours on my grandfather’s farm where he gifted me an appreciation for hard work and honest good food. There were many days when he would prepare an entire meal over an open fire. I was mesmerized by the smell of the burning wood, the sound of the fire crackling, and the anticipation of the finished meal. You can say that these moments ignited my passion, and what has become a lifelong obsession with outdoor cooking. As I grew older my fascination with BBQ and outdoor cooking only intensified, and I experimented regularly with a charcoal grill. Then one year, my wife gifted me a smoker on my birthday, and I was instantly hooked. Immediately, I began creating sauces and rubs to flavor the smoked meats that I had been carefully cooking for hours on end.
My sauce and rub creations were so well received at cookouts, family gatherings, and even BBQ competitions that in 2015, I decided to make a go of it as a business and formed the BBQ Buddha brand.
I never could have dreamed where my BBQ journey would take me. I have competed head to head against some of the top pit masters in the country and have gotten calls in categories such as chicken, ribs, pork, brisket, bacon, and chili. However, none have been as gratifying as the accolades and awards that I have received for my BBQ sauces in some of the biggest National and International competitions. My sauces have won top awards in competitions such as The American Royal “Best Sauce on the Planet” contest, The National Barbecue and Grilling Association’s Awards of Excellence, The Scovie Awards, The World Hot Sauce Awards, and The International Flavor Awards (The Flaves).
Racking up the wins for my sauces soon got the attention of a publisher which led to my first cookbook Award Winning BBQ Sauces and How to Use Them-Page Street Publishing. Writing my first cookbook was exciting, but having it awarded BBQ Book of the Year from the National Barbecue and Grilling Association was truly humbling. I enjoy creating recipes, whether it is for a cookbook I am working on, for branded content, or for my monthly article in Barbecue News Magazine.
In 2022 I sold my sauce companies trademarked name (BBQ Buddha) in effect closing the business and opened a restaurant called Ray’s Roadside Kitchen in Cream Ridge, NJ that specializes in Southern fried chicken, hand crafted burgers, and BBQ specialties. I am currently in the process of rebranding new content/creations/consulting by Chef Ray Sheehan…

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Yes, I wish that I would have discovered recipal.com before creating my food products. I could have saved money in the creation of my nutrition labels. This nutrition label generator makes it easy to create FDA compliant labels for your packaged food products at a fraction of the cost vs having your copacker do it.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love creating things for others to enjoy, whether it is a food product or a recipe that will be made on occasion and shared with friends and family.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/chef.raysheehan
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chefraysheehan
• Twitter: twitter.com/chefraysheehan