When a lot of people hear of cajun, they think of 'hot'. But that is not necessarily the case. Cajun food is 'spicy with a purpose' and it can be intimidating for most people. But A Cajun Life simplifies that with their mix of seasonings that give a depth of flavor that is hard to find in a lot of the seasonings available in the market.

Chris Fontenot is the founder of A Cajun Life and has worked in the CPG space for over 15 years, working all the way from entry-level merchandising to managing larger retail teams after high-level customer management. He started a little part-time food cart in Oregon before growing to 4 restaurant locations and later deciding to focus on a packaged goods line. 

In this episode, G. Steven Cleere is joined by Chris to talk about authentic cajun food and seasonings, the history of cajun cooking, and working with distributors. 

  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

[01:25] How Chris got started with producing cajun seasonings and foods

[05:00] List of products from A Cajun Life

[06:20] The definition of cajun & the food history behind it

[10:30] Where to find A Cajun Life products

[11:25] Getting into the packaged goods business

[18:40] Working with distributors

[24:05] How Chris raised funds for his startup

[32:35] Starve Ups, Oregon's first startup accelerator

[38:40] What's new in the Portland food scene?

[41:42] Chris' advice to fellow entrepreneurs

Subscribe and Listen on:

iTunes

  Resources Mentioned in this episode

A Cajun Life

Starve Ups

  Connect with Steve

Kitchen2Shelf 

About Me

NexxtLevel Marketing

  Sponsor for this episode

Our podcast was brought to you today by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen to Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. 

Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen to Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow.