When the pandemic hit and the cancelations started pouring in, John Alff, the owner of Phoenixville-based Vesta BBQ and Catering, realized he would have to put his business on hold and start a new one, writes Hadas Kuznits for KYW Newsradio.

So, he began creating new sauces. Soon, his new line of barbecue sauces, hot sauces, and mustards was up and running – and bringing him success.

His first creation was a mild barbecue sauce called Smooth Operator, which he followed up with a spicy version called Steam Heat.

“Then, I started getting into fermenting some hot sauces, so I have a Crazy Train, which is peppers fermented with salt,” said Alff. “Then, I started playing on that with adding different flavors like garlic, honey.”

Starting a new business amidst a pandemic took some time since all regulatory bodies were working from home, but it paid off in the end. However, his ultimate goal is to return to catering.

Alff hopes he will soon be able to “have events again, but for the time being, I’m definitely enjoying making the sauces and playing around with different flavor combinations.”

Read more about Vesta BBQ and Catering at KYW Newsradio here.