This BBQ Guru Wants to Be Known for More than Just Amazing Sauce
Chef Ray Sheehan is going all-in on BBQ, pursuing writing projects, podcasts, cooking demos, and more.
In the barbecue world, many people are known for one thing. Some are known for their restaurants, some are known for being fierce competitors, and some are known for their personalities on TV. Chef Ray Sheehan has often been spotlighted in the barbecue world for his award-winning barbecue sauces, but he wants people to know he’s more than just a sauceman.
Sheehan previously used the name BBQ Buddha for his products but sold all assets to another great BBQ guy Chris Sussman, aka The BBQ Buddha. Sheehan now has all of his sauces and rubs under the “Chef Ray Sheehan” brand, and he is working to build his reputation while also doing what he can to help others.
I spoke with Sheehan recently about what he has been working on. The below interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
The Smoke Sheet: Can you tell us about your journey into the world of barbecue and how you first started making barbecue sauces and rubs?
Ray Sheehan: My first introduction to BBQ and live-fire cooking came as a young boy, spending the summers on my grandfather’s farm in Puerto Rico. My grandfather cooked many meals outdoors on a fogón (a homemade wood-burning stove), grilling meats, fish, and vegetables on a parrilla (grilling grate). These experiences ignited my love for cooking over wood and charcoal initially, but it wasn’t until much later in life that I decided to turn my passion for BBQ into my career. I had worked in the food world my entire life cooking, baking, catering, and managing teams of 20-plus people as Food Service Director for a natural food store, yet I still felt unfulfilled. Then, one year, my wife got me a smoker for my birthday. I remember cooking on this thing nonstop. I was creating sauces and seasonings to flavor my cue. Not long after that, I began assisting a local competition BBQ team, and I was hooked. The sauces and rubs were so well received by friends and family, and at BBQ events, with many people asking where they could purchase them, I decided to make a go of them as a business.
TSS: How did you develop your recipes? What makes your items unique?
RS: I developed my initial recipes over the course of a few years, tasting, testing, and refining them according to feedback that I received from friends, family, customers, and BBQ judges. What makes them unique is that they are made in small batches, using only all-natural ingredients. We don’t use any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, and there is no high fructose corn syrup, MSG, or gluten in any of our products. So, when you buy from us, you only get premium ingredients with no bad fillers. Of course, now you see more and more companies following suit, but when we started out ten years ago, there were only a small number of producers like this. The fact that my products have taken top honors at some of the biggest sauce competitions in the world is a testament to the premium natural ingredients we use.
TSS: You’ve been doing more lately and establishing yourself outside of just sauces and rubs, including cooking demos and cooking at the Smoke Slam in Memphis. What are you working toward?
RS: Although I am known for creating my previous BBQ Buddha brand sauces and seasonings, rebranding the products to the Chef Ray Sheehan brand makes sense to me. Not only am I a classically trained chef, but I also spent much of my career working in various food businesses, building other people’s brands. Now, the plan is to build my personal brand by doing cooking demos, classes, pop-ups, sauce tastings, and book signings. Branding as Chef Ray Sheehan allows me to leave the door open to creating other products just outside of BBQ, perhaps in the outdoor cooking realm, should I choose to.
I am also continuing to build on my reputation in the world of BBQ by doing more grill demos on the Big Green Egg, which also promotes my book Big Green EGG Basics From A Master Barbecuer, and cooking at larger events such as the Smoke Slam BBQ Festival in Memphis.
TSS: You’ve also been doing some work in the area of barbecue journalism. Can you tell us about how you’ve expanded your writing with the Barbecue News and guest hosting with the Baseball and Barbecue podcast?
RS: I have had the honor of being a contributor to Barbecue News Magazine since 2017. I started out contributing recipes monthly, and over time, I added in the occasional BBQ-related article and product review. Over the years, I have been recognized for my writing by the National Barbecue and Grilling Association, receiving the Award of Excellence for numerous recipes and BBQ-focused articles, including BBQ Book of the Year for my book Award Winning BBQ Sauces and How to Use Them. Expanding my writing for Barbecue News came out of a desire to grow in the industry. I want to offer real value to readers and want to be someone who gives more than he takes in the BBQ culture. That is how my most recent Father’s Day gift guide came about.
I also love being a frequent guest cohost on the Baseball and BBQ podcast! Len and Jeff make it so easy and fun. I have always wanted to host a podcast, and this has allowed me to gain experience doing it.
TSS: Who was your biggest influence in developing your barbecue style?
RS: I have been influenced by many of the BBQ greats and consider myself a lifelong learner of the craft. It would be hard to name just one, but some of my greatest influences have come from Chef Paul Kirk, Tuffy Stone, Myron Mixon, and Dr. BBQ Ray Lampe.
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