Every week, Macaroni Kid South Shore will introduce you to an amazing, local mom. Nothing makes me happier than supporting incredible women and I am so excited to have the opportunity to introduce you to some of the South Shore's finest!
This week, Shannon Burke. Shannon, who I am lucky enough to call a good friend, is the brains and beauty behind Burke's Hot Sauce. Shannon and her husband, Kevin, create the most amazing hot sauce right here on the South Shore. Their different variety of sauces is as much of a staple in our house as they are! My personal favorite is the pineapple habanero but they truly are all so incredible. Try it out for yourself here or give the gift that people will actually want this year with their new "Rooted in Love" gift box. Trust me when I say, you will be back for more. Read on to find out more about Shannon, Burke's Hot Sauce and their favorite places on the South Shore!
How many kids do you have and how old are they?
1 child, a daughter, Soleil, who is 2 years and 3 months old.
What town do you live in and what is your favorite thing about the South Shore?
We live in Norwell. My favorite thing about the South Shore is the sense of community. People and small businesses support each other and it's really fun to be a part of.
What do you like to do for fun with your kid/s on the South Shore? Without your kid/s?
We love being by the water and eating good food. It's a double win if we can do both. Our daughter pretty much only likes to eat ice cream, so we typically go to Hornstra or Nona's in Scituate. We also love our local breweries, Untold and Stellwagen. It's nice for mom and dad to enjoy a cold, refreshing beverage in an easy-going atmosphere.
Please tell us all about Burke’s Hot Sauce! How did it start and where is it going?!
We've always been hot sauce aficionados, but it wasn't until we moved to Norwell and the pandemic hit that we started growing hot peppers and making hot sauce. We were able to test out the flavors in our recipes and begin making our sauces in a commercial kitchen. It's something we're passionate about and get excited for each day. It's an experience we share with others and it brings us closer to the community.
We won't spill all the beans on where Burke's Hot Sauce is going, but we have lofty goals. Our vision is more than hot sauce in a bottle and our community supports the values in our vision.
Has the South Shore had any influence on your work?
Absolutely, and in a way we never imagined. I think in general it's a natural progression to move to the South Shore from Boston when you want to start a family and that's what we did. We both worked remotely pre-pandemic and it became even more remote during the pandemic. We were thankful each day that we lived on the South Shore and could easily do our jobs remotely. That also gave us the flexibility to start our own business. Slowly, we began to shift and blend our hours of managing our hot sauce business with our corporate jobs. Never mind, juggling mom life with a 2-year-old.
How do you balance work and life? Or do you?! ;)
I remember during the pandemic there was so much focus on work, life balance. What I really think happened is that we became efficiency machines. We found a way to do more by multi-tasking from home as we can be virtually in multiple places at once. On a normal day, I have two computers open, 1 for hot sauce and 1 for my corporate job. I'm likely on a video call, responding to an email, sending an instant message and texting all at once across multiple screens. It's a blessing and a curse. What I really enjoy about our hot sauce business is that we get to meet and collaborate with local, small business owners like us. It's such a breath of fresh air from being on virtual calls all day. As the business grows, we look forward to being able to focus more time solely on our business. It's an opportunity for growth that we're super excited for in 2022!
Favorite places on the South Shore to:
Eat: Cheevers in Norwell and Locales in Hingham. It's hard to name a favorite because there are so many great places to eat on the South Shore. We are such foodies!
Drink: Other than our two favorite, local breweries, our neighborhood Tinker's Son never disappoints. Salt Society and Hibernian Tavern have yummy cocktails and so does the Range in Hingham - they have an unbelievable candy cane martini!
Play: We're always on the go and play is wherever we are at the moment. If we are looking for local play, we like to go to Gaffield Park and the Vinal School, which is easy to get to.
Thank you, Shannon!
