About Samson’s Sauce
From the grill to the kitchen table, Samson’s Sauce brings bold, balanced flavor to nearly any meal. Although it began as a steak sauce, generations of customers have discovered that it is just as good on burgers, chicken, pork, vegetables, sandwiches, stews, and marinades. Some even use it as a dipping sauce or add a splash to their favorite recipes.
Samson’s Sauce has been a family-owned tradition since 1925. For more than a century, its distinctive recipe has delivered rich, savory flavor without overpowering the food. It is mild enough for the whole family, yet flavorful enough to make everyday meals more memorable.
The beauty of Samson’s Sauce is its versatility. Brush it on while grilling, mix it into a marinade, stir it into a pot of stew, or simply set a bottle on the table and let everyone enjoy it their own way. Customers continue to surprise us with new uses, proving that Samson’s Sauce is much more than steak sauce.
After more than 100 years, one simple promise remains the same: Samson’s Sauce makes everything taste better.
A Century Old Recipe
Samson’s Sauce dates back 78 years to the attic of the former Boren home on the fashionable Oakland Avenue in Greensboro, N. C. Head of that particular household, Simpson Boren was a family man and father of three sons – Malcolm, Gurney, and Jimmy. He loved fishing, dove hunting, and gourmet cooking. In fact, this wonderful sauce was concocted because Simpson was always experimenting in the kitchen! He first made it in a barrel in the attic and let it age for two months while dutifully stirring it everyday. News of Simpson’s mysterious, pending treat spread quickly throughout the community. Anticipation climaxed when Simpson finally declared it was ready! Everyone was dying for a taste! Friends even brought their own bottles so they could take some home. Though the original recipe was really hot, folks were crazy about this biting, tantalizingly different condiment. Simpson loved giving his new sauce to friends and whoever wanted to try it. Since Simpson’s local nickname was Samson, he named his new culinary creation Samson’s Sauce. In the late 1940’s Simpson devised the comic label that is still used today. It wasn’t long before Samson’s Sauce became a staple in the homes of many of his neighbors and friends.
After Simpson Boren’s death in 1954, sons Malcolm and Gurney tried making the sauce on a small scale. Unfortunately, they were unable to make enough to meet the demand while also holding down regular jobs. So Gurney took on the daunting task alone over the next two decades. He continued to make the sauce on demand in his garage whenever people complained that they were out and just had to have some more! However, making Samson’s Sauce was a lot of work without modern equipment, and making it in quantity was an impossible job for one lone man. As the sauce’s popularity grew, Gurney simply couldn’t keep up with orders from folks allover who had bought the sauce or tasted it somewhere and now craved it. The demand was overwhelming. Hundreds of letters from customers came in with testimonials about how they loved Samson’s Sauce. Invariably, each satisfied customer requested another case or two. How amazing it was that so many people knew about this sauce simply through word of mouth! What a testament to its delectability!
Finally, in 1986 Jimmy joined his brother Gurney in producing Samson’s Sauce and enabling the Boren legacy to continue. Together they opened a plant that made and bottled the famous sauce. Even with no formal advertising, orders kept coming in and demand increased. Sauce was shipped to all states but the Dakotas, and business was good! Soon, they were able to expand their product line with a new culinary creation called Samson’s Town and Country, a delicious, slightly sweet sauce with some teasing heat. Like its sassy-saucy predecessor, Samson’s Town and Country also had a variety of uses, according to the traditional label’s bragging rights. After taking a tasty sabbatical, Samson’s Town and Country will soon be available for purchase and enjoyment once again.
The bottom line of this culinary success story boils down to a long-standing Boren tradition of good taste and customer satisfaction. After all these years, Samson’s Sauce has remained a staple in many kitchens all over the country from gourmet chefs to backyard grillers and ordinary folks who just want a dependable condiment that simply “Makes Everything Taste Better.” And that’s a fact worth savoring!