Saratoga Business Journal
By Susan Elise Campbell
“Things are about to get hotter in Texas,” said Tim Bibens, owner of Whalen’s Horseradish Products, the iconic, local specialty food company now in its 101st year.
In a first for the company, 10 Central Market grocery stores in the Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio areas began stocking Whalen’s brand of handcrafted horseradish condiments in their refrigerator sections at the beginning of June.
Distribution has been regional since Bibens and his wife, Holly, purchased the company from his cousin 14 years ago. Gourmet food shops, trade shows, craft fairs and farmers markets around New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont have continued to be successful outlets to taste and purchase Whalen’s sauces, cheeses, mustards, pickles and other products, where the horseradish they prepare by a proprietary method is the star ingredient.
One of the early changes the Bibenses made when they relocated from the Rochester area to operate the company was moving the business from Milton to Galway. This enabled them in June 2014 to open a stand-alone retail shop on a busy road, Whalen’s Root Cellar at 1710 Route 29.
“We were also motivated to consolidate production, shipping, and receiving for our retail operation into a single space,” he said. “Galway is my Mom’s hometown, so it’s a good sign that we are here.”
Some of the newer products at the Root Cellar include brick cheese and cheese curds. There are also olives, pickled beets, seafood sauce, beer cheese and specialty items made in smaller batches throughout the year, such as holiday cheese balls, cranberry relish and pickled okra, which may not be available for purchase at Whalen’s online store.
“It’s always worth a visit to the shop to see what’s popping out of the kitchen,” he said. “We also carry local products that enhance the grilling experience, including custom sauces on the spicy side or the savory side, maple products, plus nuts and popcorn to enjoy with company.”
Fresh ingredients used in Whalen’s products are purchased by the bushel from local farmers markets, and the horseradish root is shipped two or three times a year so supplies are fresh, Bibens said. These shipments come directly from Collinsville, Illinois, which, along with surrounding areas in the southern part of the state, claims to be “the horseradish capital of the world.”
“The grower hand picks the root for me and we store it fresh and unprocessed,” he said. “There’s no need for me to dig in the ground.”
Bibens can achieve nuances of flavor and heat levels from the root by timing how long ingredients rest at certain stages. Each product has a heat level and some “give that olfactory kick in the nose while others are tamer, like the mustard sauce and cheeses,” he said.
“We stay true to the tradition of hand peeling and the brining process maintained for more than 100 years,” he said.
Private labeling of Whalen’s products is available for customers within an approximately 100-mile radius. This sales channel includes breweries, meat shops, restaurants and specialty shops where foodies can “fire up and eat root” as a complement to that company’s own food products, he said.
The Texas order may be the first of several opportunities to get Whalen’s Horseradish into larger grocery chains. Bibens said he is developing relationships with Hannaford and Price Chopper to get Whalen’s products into those stores regionally.
Wholesale deals will change the business in several ways.
“There will be a more consistent revenue stream throughout the year, whereas sales tend to spike in Summer when more people are in town,” he said. “We may need to add some staff and some equipment and refrigeration to handle the bigger production requirements.”
“There is a lot of work at our end to give them the shelf life that’s necessary and to arrange tastings and marketing to introduce product to their shoppers,” said Bibens.
Bibens said he favors Whalen’s horseradish pickles and puts sauces on “just about everything” he cooks.
“Especially now that it’s grilling season, I like the prepared sauces on meat and hamburgers,” he said. “They are good on corn on the cob and veggies, and we find ways to add a little extra zing and excitement into a meal.”
The company Frank Whalen founded in Ballston Spa in 1925 started by delivering horseradish sauce to customers by horse-drawn wagon and depositing the jars in an insulated container. Today, there is a growing variety of Whalen’s brand products, and with online shopping, the market can be as vast as a company desires.
“Horseradish is not as ubiquitous as other condiments despite some awesome health benefits,” he said. Claims are that it is good for the cardiovascular system, it’s antibacterial and fights parasites, among other benefits.
“It’s really a superfood,” Bibens said. “I haven’t been sick in 19 years.”
The Bibenses feel it is “extremely important” to keep local legacy businesses like Whalen’s alive and active in the community.
“People love local when it comes to food,” he said. “Small business are critical for giving people opportunities to work, to grow, and there is a certain amount of civic pride in having an establishment in your backyard.”
Visit whalenshorseradish.com for more information, to purchase products and to inquire about private-label and wholesale opportunities.