Spice Krewe isn’t a group of Mardi Gras revelers, but it does include three “kings.”
James Williams, Andy Johnson, and Gary Windham are founders of the Memphis-based spice company, which specializes in seasonings for crawfish and seafood boils.
Spice Krewe is one of the sponsors of Donuts & Dogs 5 Miler!, a fundraiser for Streetdog Foundation, that will be held April 23rd at Wiseacre Brewing Company at 398 South B.B. King Boulevard. Free samples as well as for-sale products will be featured.
Williams, 45, said his love for crawfish boils began when he was majoring in finance at Mississippi State University. His fraternity would do crawfish boils on Super Bulldog weekend. “It was basically the start of spring season. We would do big crawfish cookouts.”
They used commercial crawfish boil seasonings. “Nothing gourmet and nothing out of the ordinary.”
After moving to Memphis in 2000, Williams and his wife, Keshia, attended local crawfish boils, but the portions were small. They’d only get a pound or so of crawfish with some sausage and a piece of corn. “Definitely not what I was used to, eating crawfish.”
In 2010, Williams began holding his own crawfish boils at home. About 15 people got together and cooked around 40 pounds of crawfish. Team members cut up the potatoes, garlic, lemon, and oranges. They just used a commercial seasoning.
As the crowd began growing, Williams and his team began experimenting with seasonings.
They began ordering their crawfish seasoning from a company in Louisiana. But they had to scramble when their order was short in 2018 because their crawfish cookout was the next day. They came up with their own blend off the top of their heads.
It was that same year when the team decided to create its own unique blend. They wanted a mixture of Cajun, which is more salt, cayenne, and black pepper, and Creole, which includes mustard, coriander, and oregano.
“We built a spreadsheet. We took a bunch of Creole seasoning blends and a bunch of Cajun seasoning blends and put them across our spreadsheet and found commonalities where we could tweak.”
They eventually came up with their own seasoning blend. “It’s the mix of spices that are in it. They’re very unique in the mixture. But I would say it’s a little more of a savory flavor than just heat and salt.”
Williams, Johnson, and Windham launched Spice Krewe on Feb. 21st — Fat Tuesday — 2023. “It’s pretty much online only. We’re working on getting shelf space in some places.”
Crawfish season can last from January to July, but Spice Krewe seasonings also are good on “shrimp, fish, chicken, any kind of meat. A lot of people put it on eggs, hash browns, and in soups.”
Spice Krewe now offers four blends. According to the website, Bayou Blend is “an all-purpose Creole seasoning that’s the perfect mix of spicy and savory. This blend is carefully crafted to complement any dish, whether you’re cooking up some jambalaya or just adding some extra flavor to your roasted vegetables.”
Bayou Burn is “hotter than the Bayou Blend and gives your dishes an extra boost of heat.”
Bayou Seasoned Salt is “a tamer version of our Bayou Blend, perfect for those who prefer less heat and more salt.”
The Bayou Boil bag is “specifically designed for seafood boils. This blend is a perfect mix of seasonings that take the flavor of your seafood boil to the next level.”
Williams has already come up with 55 more seasonings. “I thought what we’d try to do is one or two actual releases a year. But maybe put out three or four or five or six as samples for people to try and do market research. What works best.”
They’re also discussing offshoot products like roux. “Maybe even dry mixes. Like doing our own jambalaya.”
And they’ve created a Spice Krewe step-by-step crawfish cooking method for beginners. They also offer names of places where people can buy pots, boilers, and other crawfish cooking equipment. “It’s not just about being a spice company. We want to bring the experience to people.”
To order Spice Krewe products, go to spicekrewe.com.
