Written by Isabella Reilly
It was started by accident. Jonno Alcaro didn’t set out to create his own Worcestershire Sauce. But during a two-year stint living in London, Alcaro became inspired by the countryside pubs where housemade sauces were staples. A few years after returning to the US, Alcaro — who always had a deep interest in cooking — had an idea: if the English pubs could do it, why couldn’t he?
That idea evolved into the Crozet, Virginia based blend sold today by The Spirited Palate. While Alcaro spent two decades perfecting the flavor of his Worcestershire Sauce, he says things initially got off to a slower start when he began experimenting with ingredients. After a few iterations, he began by combining apples and kidney beans — which are still present in the sauce today. “Then I started playing with spices, and the thing it started to taste like was Worcestershire Sauce,” Alcaro says. “It wasn’t my original intention, but I liked it a lot.”
The flavor-packed sauce, which combines sweet and savory notes like coffee and turmeric, quickly became a beloved family holiday gift. “That’s what we gave to friends for Christmas for twenty years,” says Nanette Alcaro.
It wasn’t until 2019 that Nanette and their daughter strongly encouraged him to bring his creation to market. The couple’s plans were briefly delayed by the pandemic, but by 2021, Jonno’s Worcestershire Sauce and its Gluten-Free version started selling under The Spirited Palate, LLC, a name Nanette Alcaro originally trademarked in 2017 shortly after the couple’s move to Charlottesville from Las Vegas, Nevada. “It really hit us that this could be something that people on a wide scale could like,” Alcaro says.
The star ingredient in Alcaro’s Worcestershire? Virginia apples. Unlike traditional supermarket versions, Alcaro began incorporating locally-sourced apples that give his sauce a unique sweetness and thicker texture. “We tried several different kinds of apples over the years,” Alcaro says. “We found that some made great applesauce, but they didn’t keep their flavor and texture. So we were looking for apples that would keep a certain flavor.”
Nanette Alcaro says that some of her favorite dishes that incorporate Jonno’s Sauce span from shrimp and grits to jambalaya. The couple also collaborates to create a digital cookbook on The Spirited Palate’s website and Instagram, which includes recipes spanning across many cuisines, from chicken wings to lentil soup. Alcaro says that one of his favorite dishes his wife makes with Jonno’s Sauces is an avocado, tomato, and corn salad. “I could eat the whole thing,” he says with a laugh.
Above all, Alcaro says that he and his wife have enjoyed building their business together, combining their shared interest in food. He jokes that the duo has strayed away from more formal titles — Nanette Alcaro is the brand’s “All Things Creative,” while Alcaro is “Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.” While Nanette Alcaro says that getting started took some hard work, Alcaro says he is glad he has been able to create something that his customers enjoy. “We are really lucky,” he says.
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