If your ketchup MO is to reach for the usual squeeze bottle, Sir Kensington’s may have you reaching for their glass jars to scoop out the stuff instead.
Sir Kensington’s mascot may be totally mustache in cheek — a top hat-crowned, monocle-wearing British dandy who supposedly created the tomato-based condiment 300 years ago for Catherine the Great to top her steaks with.
But truth be told, like so many wonderful artisan products these days, Sir Kensington’s actually originated in Chelsea, NY. With Mark Ramadan and Scott Norton, former business and finance consultants, to be exact. They thought there ought to be an alternative to Heinz that was more hand-crafted.
While most mass-produced ketchup relies on tomato concentrate and corn syrup, Sir Kensington’s does not. In fact, they’re made with vine-ripened pear tomatoes, real onions (as opposed to powdered or dehydrated), cane sugar, honey, agave, apple cider vinegar, coriander, lime juice and allspice.
They’re called scooping ketchup because they come in squat glass jars.
Recently, I had a chance to try samples of the ketchup, which comes in two varieties: Classic and Spiced.
The Classic has a very pure tomato flavor. It’s sweet but tangy, and far more complex than your average ketchup. The green bell peppers and onions definitely add another layer, just as they do in your favorite spaghetti sauce.
The Spiced has a subtle grassiness and a pretty good kick from jalapenos. It’s not the type of heat that only comes at the end. No, it’s present from the get-go. There’s also a nice smokiness like that of barbecue sauce.
One tablespoon has 15 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, and 95 mg to 105 mg sodium (the former is for the Classic, the latter for the Spiced).
An 11-ounce jar is about $4.99 at Safeway, Whole Foods, Sur La Table and Mollie Stone’s stores.
You’ll also find it being used at such New York establishments as ABC Kitchen and P.J. Clarke’s.