Mother and Son Bring South African Chili Sauce to Kansas City Lal's Sweet Chili Sauce Finds a Market
Lal's Sweet Chili Sauce is based on a South African family recipe. (Emily Woodring | Flatland)
Published January 17th, 2020 at 11:39 AM
After trying the sauce his mother made him as a kid in South Africa, Ryan Grobler was hooked.
Ryan’s mom, Lal, had discovered an old family recipe from her grandmother that sounded delicious – so she perfected it. The result is Lal’s Sweet Chili Sauce – a versatile tomato-based sauce made with different types of chilis found in Africa.
Ryan came to the United States after playing rugby around the world. Eventually he moved to Kansas City, where he and his wife Laura live today. Ryan always told his mom he would start a business built on her sauce when she moved to the U.S. to be closer to family. Lal did just that and in 2018 Lal’s Sweet Chili Sauce was born.
Lal’s is now sold in select Cosentino’s, Hy-Vee, Price Chopper, Sun Fresh and other boutique stores around the Kansas City area. Eventually, Ryan hopes to sell it across the country.
Ryan and Lal share their story in the attached video.