This is a socially conscious brand from the Bronx that produces hot sauces made with peppers grown in urban community gardens. Every bottle supports local gardeners and directs a portion of profits toward educational and social programs for youth. These hot sauces are sold locally and online, combining flavor, culture, and social responsibility. Read on bronx1.one for more details about the growth and popularity of this local brand.
How It All Began
In 2014, developers Jon Crotty and Daniel Fitzgerald were working to revitalize some of the most troubled apartment buildings in the Bronx. They quickly realized that the physical restoration of buildings was only half the battle. Deeper changes were needed for the community to thrive. Local gardening initiatives became the key. They needed to find a plant-based product that wasn’t complicated to produce. After lively discussions and calculations, they decided to focus on hot sauce. The pepper base united the community and opened up a new economic model for urban farming.
In the spring of 2014, Small Axe Peppers and GrowNYC took the first step toward reviving local community gardens in the Bronx. Five of them received the first serrano pepper seedlings. This marked the beginning of a unique urban agriculture endeavor. The following year, twenty more gardens joined the initiative with support from the Bronx Green-Up program at the New York Botanical Garden. Together, they grew almost a ton of peppers. That’s when the first authentic Bronx Hot Sauce was born.
The model proved very effective and successful. Every spring, GrowNYC distributes serrano pepper seedlings, and at the end of the season, the company buys the harvested crop—which becomes the base for the sauce. In the first year, the company distributed over 3,500 seedlings, and Lehman College grew its own experimental plot. In total, the community gardens of the Bronx (Morning Glory, Kelly Street, Wishing Well, Pelham Organics, etc.) harvested enough peppers to produce 5,000 bottles of sauce and sell 150 pounds of peppers.
From First Plots to Full-Scale Production
After those first steps in 2014, Small Axe Peppers quickly transformed a small experiment into a serious business. In 2015, the company harvested 750 pounds of peppers from Bronx community gardens and produced 30,000 bottles of its famous hot sauce. The following year, the harvest doubled—gardeners grew 1,500 pounds of peppers, allowing for the release of 70,000 bottles of sauce. This incredible exponential growth at the project’s start indicated that the strategy was well-chosen. With each passing year, new pepper sauce recipes appeared, but each featured the signature hot flavor.
This project, where every bottle of sauce supports local gardeners, proved so successful that by 2020, Small Axe Peppers began sourcing peppers from gardens in cities across America, including Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Oakland, Seattle, and Los Angeles.
The company’s co-founders, Jon Crotty, Jon Fitzgerald, and chef King Phojanakong, created a unique business model: every year, thousands of pepper seedlings go to over 40 community gardens in the Bronx, and then 100% of the harvest is bought back at a premium price to produce Bronx Hot Sauce in partnership with GrowNYC and the New York Botanical Garden. As Crotty says:
“Our model is unique because we’ve injected an economy into community gardens in a way that hadn’t been done before. We help gardeners earn a living by using their talent—growing food for people.”
Small Axe Peppers was funded by private funds and investor support totaling nearly $200,000. The initiative, which started with five gardens in the Bronx, grew to encompass more than 120 gardens in 36 cities across 23 U.S. states.
Every bottle of sauce is not only about flavor but also a direct contribution to urban community development, aid to low-income gardeners, and the preservation of urban green spaces. New gardens join the program every year, and the company aims to work with everyone who wants to participate in this delicious and socially meaningful initiative.
The Hot and Spicy Taste of the Bronx
The story of the flavor began with co-founder Jon Crotty’s childhood friend, chef King Phojanakong. It was he who created a recipe that blends simplicity with depth of flavor. At his New York restaurant Kuma Inn, Phojanakong cooked everything from Asian fusion to American classics, so he was no stranger to experimenting with sauces.
The Bronx Green Hot Sauce is a symbol of local cuisine. With just six ingredients, a direct farm-to-bottle journey, and a flavor that captures the energy of the urban gardens. The sauce is sold in over 100 stores across the tri-state area—from Citarella and Gourmet Garage to Whole Foods—as well as in stores in Oregon and Washington. Production takes place in an organic incubator in Queens. The Bronx Green Hot Sauce is made from fresh serrano peppers from New York City gardens. Mild yet piquant, it perfectly complements hamburgers, sandwiches, and fish dishes.
As Phojanakong says:
“It’s incredible to see people grow a seedling, harvest it, turn it into a sauce, and then enjoy it themselves.”
In addition to the main signature recipe, Small Axe Peppers also features these popular varieties:
- The Bronx Red Hot Sauce.Â
Made from serrano peppers grown in over 40 Bronx community gardens. A medium heat level and soft flavor are achieved by allowing the peppers to ripen on the vine for six weeks longer than usual. It’s ideal for those who want to add a light spice without overpowering the main flavor of a dish.
- Habanero Ginger Hot Sauce.Â
A Caribbean interpretation of hot sauce: the piquancy of habanero combined with the earthy, slightly sweet note of ginger. It pairs well with chicken breast, pork tenderloin, or any dish that needs a vibrant kick. And, like all Small Axe sauces, it’s made with peppers from local community gardens and urban farms across America.
- Baltimore Hot Sauce.Â
Double the heat: habanero and fresh ginger create a unique Caribbean flavor. Ideal for meat and any dish that needs bright spiciness. All the peppers come from community gardens and urban farms.
Every Small Axe Peppers sauce is a perfect complement to favorite meals, as well as proof that authentic flavor can become a symbol of local culinary energy.
Social Mission
But Small Axe Peppers is about more than just cooking. It’s an example of a small business with a big social mission. The company simultaneously stimulates the local economy, improves food culture in neighborhoods, and engages youth in education and labor. Their approach combines flavor and benefit for the community.
The company actively collaborates with non-profits, churches, school groups, and workforce development agencies to train youth in agriculture and involve them in working in community gardens.
As Daniel Fitzgerald, Senior Vice President of Operations, notes:
“When I go into the gardens, I see the incredible pride gardeners have in their work. It’s a source of genuinely positive energy emanating from the neighborhood. Our philosophy is simple: if a community comes together and works together, you can create something monumental and solve both small and large social problems.”
Small Axe Peppers plans to expand to other boroughs and continues to seek opportunities to fund gardens, broaden educational programs, and attract capital for business growth.
In 2017, the company received a Good Food Award for its Bronx Hot Sauce. The sauce was also featured on the popular YouTube show Hot Ones, hosted by Sean Evans. In Season 5, Bronx Hot Sauce received high praise, with Evans stating:
“I’m going to say this is right now, possibly the most flavorful sauce we’ve ever had on the show.”
Thus, Small Axe Peppers successfully combines a delicious product, support for community initiatives, and social impact, demonstrating how business can be beneficial for all participants in the community.