True Made Foods
True Made Foods is a private, Alexandria, Virginia-based condiment company founded in 2015 that makes no-sugar ketchup, BBQ sauces, mustards, hot sauces, and rubs sweetened with carrots, butternut squash, and apples, serving health-conscious families, BBQ enthusiasts, and food service operators via DTC, specialty retail, and bulk wholesale channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersAlexandria, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What True Made Foods does
True Made Foods is a privately held specialty condiment company founded in 2015 by Abe Kamarck in Alexandria, Virginia, focused on reformulating ketchup, BBQ sauces, mustards, hot sauces, and rubs without refined sugar or corn syrup. The company's core technical approach substitutes traditional sweeteners with whole fruits and vegetables — primarily carrots, butternut squash, and apples — to deliver classic condiment flavor profiles that meet Whole30, Keto, Paleo, Kosher, and Gluten-Free certifications simultaneously. The portfolio centers on No Sugar Ketchup (18.5oz retail and 3-gallon food service Vol-Pak) and the Pitmaster BBQ line, co-developed with Hall of Fame Pitmaster Ed Mitchell and co-pitmaster Ryan Mitchell, offering six regionally faithful American BBQ sauces and three supporting rubs.
The business operates three concurrent go-to-market motions: direct-to-consumer e-commerce via a Shopify storefront with a $60 free-shipping threshold and a referral program (10% discount/commission); wholesale distribution through natural and specialty grocery banners Sprouts, Wegmans, and The Fresh Market; and food service bulk sales in 3-gallon bag-in-box format to restaurants, stadiums, and food trucks at $0.30/oz. Marketing emphasizes veteran-owned heritage, hidden-vegetable positioning for families, and Ed Mitchell-led BBQ storytelling across Instagram, Facebook, blog content, and email.
The company is founder-controlled, sub-10 employees, and has raised roughly $2.5M+ across multiple seed/early rounds from SOSV, Food-X, Veteran Ventures Capital, PenFed Foundation, Black Jays, New York Angels, Hivers and Strivers, CircleUp, and Food+City between 2015 and 2021, with an additional $500K+ won at NIQ's 2023 Founders Pitch Slam. In November 2025, True Made Foods filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with liabilities estimated between $1M and $10M, citing lost retail placements and a legal dispute with PIM Brands as proximate causes of distress.
True Made Foods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- True Made Foods
- Legal name
- True Made Foods
- Website
- https://truemadefoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- True Made Foods is a private, Alexandria, Virginia-based condiment company founded in 2015 that makes no-sugar ketchup, BBQ sauces, mustards, hot sauces, and rubs sweetened with carrots, butternut squash, and apples, serving health-conscious families, BBQ enthusiasts, and food service operators via DTC, specialty retail, and bulk wholesale channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
True Made Foods industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Condiments & Sauces
- NAICS
- Food Manufacturing (311)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Condiments, Sauces & Dressings (CRADAAAB)
Keywords
Where True Made Foods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Alexandria
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
True Made Foods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Online sales through their Shopify storefront selling individual products and variety packs to consumers. Orders over $60 qualify for free shipping.
- Retail Wholesale: Wholesale distribution to natural and specialty grocery retailers including Sprouts, Wegmans, and The Fresh Market.
- Food Service Bulk: Bulk 3-gallon bag-in-box products sold to restaurants, stadiums, and food trucks at wholesale pricing for high-volume dispensing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | No Sugar Ketchup - from $8.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BBQ Sauces - from $9.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mustards - from $8.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hot Sauces - from $6.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BBQ Rubs - from $8.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Variety Packs - from $17.99 to $36.99 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
True Made Foods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
True Made Foods manufactures and sells no-sugar and low-sugar condiments — including ketchup, BBQ sauces, mustards, hot sauces, and BBQ rubs — sweetened with real fruits and vegetables (carrots, butternut squash, apples) instead of refined sugar, corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners. Products are sold in consumer retail sizes through their Shopify storefront and natural-grocery partners (Sprouts, Wegmans, The Fresh Market), and in bulk 3-gallon bag-in-box format for food-service operators such as restaurants, stadiums, and food trucks.
Product overview
True Made Foods is a condiment company offering a portfolio of no-sugar and low-sugar products including ketchup, BBQ sauces, mustards, hot sauces, and BBQ rubs. The core offerings are the No Sugar Ketchup (available in 18.5oz retail and 3-gallon food-service packaging) and the Pitmaster Ed Mitchell BBQ Sauce lineup of six regional American styles (Memphis Sweet, Carolina Gold, Carolina Red, Kansas City Original, East Carolina Vinegar Mop Sauce, and Texas Bold) available in retail multi-packs and food-service bulk packaging. Supporting products include Honey Mustard and German-Style Stone Ground Mustard, Cayenne Hot Sauce, and three Pitmaster BBQ Rubs (Carolina Pork Rub, BBQ Rib Rub, and Carolina All Purpose Rub). The company also offers themed variety packs and bundles. Products are sweetened with real fruits and vegetables rather than refined sugars, and carry certifications including Whole30, keto, paleo, kosher (OU), and gluten-free.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pitmaster: BBQ sauces and rubs crafted by legendary pitmaster Ed Mitchell, featuring regionally faithful American barbecue styles including Carolina, Memphis, Texas, and Kansas City varieties.
- Picky Eaters Club
Products and services
- No Sugar Ketchup (18.5oz Squeeze Bottle) No-sugar ketchup made with tomatoes, apple, carrot, and butternut squash for natural sweetness. Certified Whole30, keto, paleo, kosher, and gluten-free. Sold in 18.5oz squeeze bottles for retail and consumer use.
- No Sugar Ketchup 3-Gallon Vol-Pak (Bag-in-Box)
Companies that use True Made Foods
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
True Made Foods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
True Made Foods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Ed Mitchell (Pitmaster)flagshipHall of Fame Pitmaster and co-founder of True Made Foods Pitmaster line. Brings generations of BBQ tradition from Wilson, NC. Co-developed regional BBQ sauces and rubs including Memphis Sweet, Carolina Gold, Texas Bold, and Kansas City Original varieties.
- Ryan Mitchell (Co-Pitmaster)coreSon of Ed Mitchell, co-pitmaster and co-founder. Grew up in barbecue tradition alongside his father, now carries on the Mitchell family BBQ heritage in product development.
- Sprouts Farmers MarketcoreNational natural grocery chain retailer distributing True Made Foods products including ketchup and BBQ sauces in stores nationwide.
- WegmanscoreRegional grocery chain distributing select True Made Foods products including Pitmaster Texas Bold BBQ Sauce at select store locations.
- The Fresh MarketminorSpecialty grocery retailer carrying True Made Foods products in stores nationwide.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
True Made Foods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Primal Kitchen: Primal Kitchen is a direct clean-label condiment peer, offering keto/paleo certified mayos, ketchups, and BBQ sauces; it shares TMF's core value proposition of removing refined sugar from condiments and overlaps in target channels (Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger).
- Tessemae's: Tessemae's makes clean-label dressings, marinades, and condiments with no added sugar; it competes head-to-head with TMF in natural/specialty grocery for the same health-conscious family and keto consumer.
- Sir Kensington's: Sir Kensington's is a premium condiment brand (ketchup, mustard, mayo) sold through natural and conventional grocery; it targets the same premium, ingredient-conscious consumer with similar retail channel mix to TMF.
- Stubb's: Stubb's is a leading premium BBQ sauce and rub brand competing directly with the Pitmaster line in retail BBQ sets; comparable SKU architecture (regional sauce variants, rubs) and grocery distribution model.
Emerging players
- Yo Mama's Foods: Yo Mama's Foods is a smaller clean-label ketchup/sauce brand also built around reduced sugar and natural ingredients; competes in the same niche as TMF's No Sugar Ketchup, particularly in DTC and natural grocery.
- Chosen Foods: Chosen Foods is a clean-label brand best known for avocado oil but has expanded into sauces and dressings; overlaps with TMF in natural/specialty grocery and in clean-label positioning toward health-conscious families.
- Bone Suckin' Sauce: Bone Suckin' Sauce is a regional BBQ sauce and rub brand with national natural-grocery distribution; it overlaps with the Pitmaster line on authentic regional flavors and clean ingredients.
- Yellowbird Foods: Yellowbird makes clean-label hot sauces and condiments sold in natural grocery; it overlaps with TMF's Cayenne Hot Sauce in product type, certifications (Whole30, non-GMO), and target retail channels.
Broad incumbents
- Heinz (Kraft Heinz): Heinz is the dominant incumbent in ketchup and competes broadly in BBQ sauces; it dwarfs TMF in shelf presence, marketing, and slotting power and represents the category leader TMF must displace for incremental household penetration.
- Sweet Baby Ray's: Sweet Baby Ray's is the leading BBQ sauce brand by share; it competes across retail and foodservice on price and ubiquity, and is the primary scale competitor to TMF's Pitmaster BBQ sauce line.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
True Made Foods social profiles
Digital presenceTrue Made Foods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
True Made Foods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
True Made Foods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds12 records
Investors11 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
True Made Foods M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about True Made Foods
What does True Made Foods do?
True Made Foods manufactures and sells no-sugar and low-sugar condiments — including ketchup, BBQ sauces, mustards, hot sauces, and BBQ rubs — sweetened with real fruits and vegetables (carrots, butternut squash, apples) instead of refined sugar, corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners. Products are sold in consumer retail sizes through their Shopify storefront and natural-grocery partners (Sprouts, Wegmans, The Fresh Market), and in bulk 3-gallon bag-in-box format for food-service operators such as restaurants, stadiums, and food trucks.
Is True Made Foods a public or private company?
True Made Foods is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was True Made Foods founded?
True Made Foods was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is True Made Foods based?
True Made Foods is headquartered in Alexandria, United States, in the North America region.
How does True Made Foods make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce is the primary driver. The others are retail Wholesale and food Service Bulk.
Who are True Made Foods's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Primal Kitchen, Tessemae's, Sir Kensington's and Stubb's. Emerging players are Yo Mama's Foods, Chosen Foods, Bone Suckin' Sauce and Yellowbird Foods. Broad incumbents are Heinz (Kraft Heinz) and Sweet Baby Ray's.
Does True Made Foods have an API?
No public API is recorded for True Made Foods.
What industry is True Made Foods in?
True Made Foods's product category is Condiments & Sauces. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAAAB, Condiments, Sauces & Dressings. Its NAICS code is 311 and its SIC code is 2090.