Scott and Denise Scherer know the look — folks seeking a little pizzazz for their mundane mealtimes often find themselves wandering into their market, Saucy Sows Sweets and Meats, with a distinct look of hungry anticipation.
Saucy Sows, located at the intersection of state routes 47 and 235, is but a stone’s throw from the only roundabout between Bellefontaine and Sidney, where the owners are members of Logan County Electric Cooperative.
The market offers specialty foods (including many with the Saucy Sows label), fresh meats (including juicy burgers made with 50% beef and 50% bacon), deli items, Amish baked goods, and produce. The staff, which includes Scott and Denise’s son, Stealth, and daughter, Blazie, also prepares special treats like storemade barbecued beef, chicken salad, ham salad, and bologna salad.
Scott and Denise Scherer's market, Saucy Sows Sweets and Meats, is known for special treats like storemade barbecued beef, chicken salad, ham salad, and bologna salad.
The Scherers have spent years perfecting their products and growing the business. Scott left a job in the beverage industry in 2012 in order to pursue his culinary interest. He initially thought about producing a new kind of mustard but quickly realized the market was flooded. After considerable experimentation, he developed sweet pepper mustard using fresh red and green peppers. Numerous taste tests yielded only positive results, but he still needed a name.
“We used to do a lot of fishing, and our favorite charter was Sassy Sal’s,” he says. “We settled on the name Saucy Sows — since we envisioned our products being used on pork as well as beef, the name just seemed right.”
For many years, the Scherers prepared and packaged their mustard at a large commercial kitchen in Bowling Green, so they had to load up everything from ingredients to labels for their regular trips. During the ensuing weeks, Scott traveled to mom-and-pop markets, butcher shops, and specialty shops introducing proprietors to his “pride and joy.”
Orders steadily grew from cases to pallets, and soon he added new products like spicy mustard, moonshine mustard, barbecue glazes, horseradish sauce, pickles, and pork and beef sticks. Today, the Saucy Sows line comprises more than 25 products, including soda pop.
“We have hot and spicy products, but we also have plenty of options for those who don’t like or can’t handle the heat,” he says. “Adding new products takes considerable experimentation. It really involves trial and error. You can always put in a little heat or spice, but you certainly can’t take it out.”
Some new products spring from customer suggestions, but most originate from family members. Such examples include the sweet and tangy Sassy Tallahassee barbecue sauce and Saucy Sows mild bread-and-butter pickle slices. There is always something in the planning stage.
The Scherers no longer make trips to Bowling Green, because their growing product volume has allowed them to hire other businesses to handle packaging for the “tried and true” recipes. For instance, Woeber in Springfield manages the mustards and Sechler’s in St. Joe, Indiana, packs
the pickles.
The Scherers ultimately decided to open their market in 2020, at the height of the pandemic. Clientele steadily grew and the white frame store now operates six days a week, Tuesday through Sunday. Denise manages the operation and spends considerable time in the deli, slicing lunch meat and cheese brought in from Ohio’s Amish country. Stealth oversees the adjacent meat counter, where fresh pork and beef can be purchased by the pound. Scott spends 50 to 60 hours per week preparing shipments, making deliveries, and recruiting new customers. More than 300 retail outlets carry Saucy Sows products in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
“We set out to make a quality product and we have adhered to our mission,” he says. “After all, we would never serve something to our customers that we wouldn’t serve to family
and friends.”
Saucy Sows, 13 State Route 235 N., DeGraff, Ohio. Open 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Sunday. Closed Mondays. Click here for more information.
