Skip to content
  • Topics
    • Black Wineries
    • Book Grub
    • CN Review
    • Food & Drink
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • World News
    • Videos
  • Recipes
  • Events
  • Blogs
    • The Culinary Scoop
    • Behind the Business
  • Marketplace
Menu
  • Topics
    • Black Wineries
    • Book Grub
    • CN Review
    • Food & Drink
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • World News
    • Videos
  • Recipes
  • Events
  • Blogs
    • The Culinary Scoop
    • Behind the Business
  • Marketplace
Header
  • Marketplace
Menu
  • Marketplace
Facebook-f
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Search
Close

Retired Marine Achilles Murray is Sergeant of Gourmet Sauces

Achilles Murray of J & T's Gourmet Sauces
Pictured: Achilles Murray | Photo credit: Paul Morgan Photography
Sucheta Rawal
November 3, 2020
Sucheta Rawal
Share this article
  • 61
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
    61
    Shares

For retired marine Achilles Murray, the recent lockdown has been a blessing. “People are cooking more at home. They are tired of ordering takeout. That’s where my reputable and delicious barbecue sauces come handy,” says Murray.

Murray and his wife started J&T's Gourmet Sauces from their home kitchen while stationed in Japan. Murray, a native of Pasadena, California, joined the United States Marine Corps at the age of 22 and was deployed for about 13 years of his career. His family lived in Japan, Hawaii, South Carolina and California, and traveled all over the world. “We got to see a lot of places, including Hong Kong, Australia and Dubai. My favorite time was when I was stationed in Jordan for eight months. We had a mission there, and we did a good job at it,” Murray recalls.

Missing a Taste of Home

During his six-year-long tenure in Okinawa, Japan, Murray was inspired to make his barbecue sauce. Murray loved Japanese food and culture, but he was homesick for authentic and flavorful barbecue that he grew up with. He was always barbecuing with his fellow Marines and other service members but felt that something was missing. “It was a very beautiful island, and we could find all kinds of cuisines, but no respectful barbecue sauces,” Murray says.  The only sauces he was able to get at the commissaries were very basic. He started experimenting in his home kitchen with no prior professional cooking experience and came up with something more palatable. “When our friends tried it, they said we should start bottling this. People were going crazy over it,” says Murray.

Achilles Murray, founder of J & T's Gourmet Sauces
Pictured: Achilles Murray | Photo credit: Paul Morgan Photography
Do It Yourself

As a Marine, Murray learned to take leadership and an “if you want things done well, do it yourself” attitude. He started bottling and selling his sauces while living in Parris Island, South Carolina, but couldn’t get the operation up and running as he was always moving.

  • Erica Barrett Formulates Culinary Success with Southern Culture FoodsErica Barrett, Founder of Southern Culture
  • Supreme Vinegar’s Spotlight on the Eternal CondimentSupreme Vinegar’s Spotlight on the Eternal Condiment

It wasn’t until years later, when he retired in 2014, that Murray was able to fully dedicate himself to commercializing the sauce his family and friends had grown to love. He rented a kitchen and made 40-80 bottles of his “Original” sauce by hand, which would sell out in two weeks. “It was very daunting at first. We got to a point when we couldn’t keep up with the demand. So we got a business license, hired a copacker to make four different sauces under our label.” Murray now sells around 1200 bottles every six weeks.

Getting started was the most challenging part for Murray as he did not have prior business experience or a mentor. “I learned mostly through trial and error until I got it right. Once we got the paperwork together and started producing more quantities, it was like clockwork,” says Murray attributing his success to the dedication and discipline that he acquired while in the Marine Corps.

Flavor in Every Bottle

Murray named his company after his children (Joshua, Elisa, Tempestt and Leigh) and the flavors for his love for California. Back in Japan, he started with only one homemade sauce, which he calls Original. It is sweet and tangy and has more flavor than any other barbecue sauce, he claims.

J & T's Gourmet Sauces
Pictured: J & T's Gourmet Sauces | Photo credit: Paul Morgan Photography

Two years ago, he also started experimenting with local ingredients he found in the supermarket. Staying true to his hometown, he added crushed pineapple to the base sauce to create California Crush. Peaches, mangoes and jalapenos inspired the Backyard Boogie flavor. “When I tasted it, I start dancing, and Mack 10’s ‘Backyard Boogie’ song kept playing in my head,” says Murray. And his fourth flavor, San Andreas, blends strawberries, oranges and habanero, presenting an “earthquake in your mouth.”

“The sauces go on anything from Bloody Marys to mac and cheese and lasagna. You could even drink it. That’s how good it is.” As expected, Murray won’t reveal his secret ingredient.

Expanding The Brand

Murray and his wife now live in Camp Pendleton, California, and sell J&T’s Gourmet Sauces at Temecula area farmers markets, online through their website and in retail stores around Southern California. Service members and friends of Murray have ordered his sauces from Japan, Australia, Jordan and Netherlands.

Chicken wings with J & T's Gourmet Sauces
Pictured: Chicken wings with J & T's Gourmet Sauces | Photo credit: Paul Morgan Photography

But his goal is to get on grocery store shelves across the nation. Murray wants people everywhere to have the same “earthquakes and boogies” on their palates as he has while creating his sauces.

  • Bazodee Sauces Bring Caribbean Traditions Into KitchensBazodee Sauces Bring Caribbean Traditions Into Kitchens
  • Former NFL Star Jarvis Green Tackles Culinary Industry with Ocean 97 BrandJarvis Green, Founder of Ocean 97

To learn more and place an order, visit https://jntsbbqsauce.com.  Be sure to follow Murray on Facebook and Instagram.

  • Keisha Rucker, The Soul Shack in Chicago
    under Food & DrinkThe Soul Shack Co-Owner Keisha Rucker Makes Community the Focus During Pandemic
  • Chef Darrell A Smith
    under Food & DrinkChef Darrell Smith Boosts the Confidence of Home Cook with Spice Sack Blends
  • Andrea Lacy of Luv's Brownies in San Jose, California
    under Food & DrinkOwner of Luv’s Brownies Reinvents Her Business with New Dessert Truck
  • Amicalola Falls in Georgia
    under TravelTraveling Close to Home – Discovering Hidden Gems in Georgia
Share this article
Share on facebook
Share on google
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Sucheta Rawal
Sucheta Rawal

Sucheta is an award-winning food and travel writer who has traveled to 70+ countries and is on a mission to see the entire world. She is also the founder of the nonprofit organization, Go Eat Give and the author of a series of children's books on travel, "Beato Goes To" that teach kids about different countries and cultures.

Related Articles

Mawa McQueen
Ruksana Hussain
Food & Drink

Mawa McQueen's Granola Brand Nourishes with Handmade Snack

Orlando Satchell in black jacket
Phyllis Armstrong
Featured Food & Drink

Chef Orlando Satchell: Trailblazer’s St. Lucia Restaurant Named One of the World’s Best

Tiffanie Barriere
Ruksana Hussain
Food & Drink

The Drinking Coach Tiffanie Barriere Spills on Crafting Cocktails and Her Career

Be the first to know about the latest online, industry updates, world news, events and promotions that connect the African diaspora through food, drink and travel.

    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising
    Menu
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising
    Footer
    Facebook-f
    Twitter
    Youtube
    Instagram

    #IAmCuisineNoir

    This site participates in affiliate programs. See our full disclosure for more information.

    © 2020 The Global Food and Drink Initiative d/b/a Cuisine Noir Magazine. Privacy
    Site by ACS Digital

    Any unauthorized duplication, download or reprint of images or content from this website for promotional or commercial use is strictly prohibited without written permission from The Global Food and Drink Initiative. Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Trademark pending.

    YES!  We’re excited you are signing up too!  

    Get ready to receive our weekly newsletter about:

    • New articles online
    • World news and industry happenings throughout the African Diaspora
    • Mouthwatering recipes
    • Promotions and giveaways

    Right in your inbox!