No Tomatoes. No Vinegar. Just Pure Tamarind and Now Pure Gold as Tamarind Heads BBQ Wins the Specialty Food Association’s Top Sauce Honor.

Tamarind Heads BBQ is changing the flavor of barbecue forever. With a revolutionary superfood tamarind base—completely free of tomatoes and vinegar—the company has created an award-winning line of BBQ sauces that blend tradition, health, and bold global flavors.

Crowned Best BBQ Sauce of 2024 with the prestigious Specialty Food Association’s sofi™ Gold Award, Tamarind Heads BBQ is quickly carving its place among the most innovative and exciting new food brands in the U.S.

A Taste of Heritage

Founded by Sashi Kumar, Brittney Lim, and Jim Giberson, Tamarind Heads BBQ was born from a shared love of heritage flavors and a desire to modernize barbecue.

• Sashi Kumar brings over 30 years of food industry experience and childhood memories of his mother’s farmers’ market dishes.

• Brittney Lim, raised in a Malaysian family surrounded by “hawker stall” flavors, champions healthy, clean-label foods and brings a global palate to the recipes.

• Jim Giberson, with decades of expertise in production and quality control, helped refine the tamarind-only recipe over five years of testing.

Together, they created a sauce that reflects their South and Southeast Asian culinary roots, while delivering a product designed for today’s health-conscious and flavor-seeking consumer.

What Sets Tamarind Heads Apart

• Superfood First: Tamarind is celebrated globally for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

• Clean Label Promise: Only six simple ingredients—vegan, gluten-free, preservative-free.

• Bold Innovation: First BBQ sauce brand to use a 100% tamarind-only base.

• Globally Inspired: Part of the rising “swicy” (sweet + spicy) trend, appealing to adventurous and traditional eaters alike.

Award-Winning Products

• Tamarind Heads Medium BBQ Sauce: Tart, tangy, smoky, sweet, and approachable—a perfect gateway for BBQ sauce lovers.

• Tamarind Heads Hot BBQ Sauce: A complex spicy-sweet blend delivering a significant kick without sacrificing depth of flavor.

Both sauces are shelf-stable for two years, thanks to the company’s proprietary “pod-to-bottle” process, ensuring consistency and pure taste.

Recognition & Accolades

• sofi™ Gold Award 2024/2025 – Best BBQ Sauce, Specialty Food Association

• McCormick & Co. Flavor of the Year 2024 – Tamarind named a standout ingredient

• Shelfie Award Finalist – Among top 1,500 emerging CPG brands

• Certified Minority- and Women-Owned Business

Beyond Barbecue

Tamarind Heads sauces aren’t just for grilling. Their versatility shines in sandwiches, tacos, marinades, stir-fries, dips, and even cocktails (try the signature Tamarind-lada).

Availability

Tamarind Heads BBQ sauces are available nationwide:

• The Fresh Market (170+ locations) across major U.S. cities including Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, and Philadelphia

• Central Market (Texas-wide, including Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio)

• Pearl River Mart (Chelsea Market, NYC)

• Online at www.tamarindheads.com

Tastings are also hosted regularly at The Fresh Market locations nationwide.

About Tamarind Heads

Launched in 2024, Tamarind Heads BBQ is pioneering a new era of sauces with its tamarind-first approach. Rooted in cultural heritage and driven by innovation, the company is setting a new standard in clean-label, globally inspired condiments.

Created by Florida University grads, this sofi™ Gold award-winning sauce ditches the usual tomato-vinegar base for real tamarind pulp–delivering bold, tangy flavor and global flair. It’s a bright twist on grilled favorites, tacos, doubles, micheladas and more.

Add to your seasonal pantry picks or global flavors. Find fan-favorite recipes here: https://tamarindheads.com/pages/recipes