our roots

Buddy Hall, his wife Betty, and their children started Applecreek Specialty Foods in 1991. Buddy, who always had a true entrepreneurial spirit, wanted to try his hand at making preserves and fruit butters. He combined his extensive study of Shaker recipes and cooking techniques with his own exhaustive experimentation to produce a unique and delicious line of home style preserves and fruit butters. Fruit wasn't the only sweet that Buddy enjoyed! He also worked with a Nestle food specialist to develop a line of caramel and chocolate fudge dessert sauces.

Buddy developed special relationships with his customers, vendors, and fellow food companies. He was a founding member of Kentucky Proud and one of the first members of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT). He also built a relationship with our friends at Buffalo Trace. Buddy started to experiment with bourbon in his recipes and developed a unique line of Bourbon flavored products. These products include a Kentucky Bourbon Marinade, Barbeque sauce, and delicious Bourbon Caramel and Fudge dessert sauces.

Unfortunately, Buddy passed away in 2009. However, his son Chip decided to carry on the Applecreek Specialty Foods product line that his dad started. Chip was joined by his long-time friends, Mike and Tammy Leal, as they continue to provide high quality products, prepared and packaged by hand in small batches, ensuring their freshness and flavor.

In 2020, the Leal’s decided to sell their business to David Ochoa, owner and CEO of Bluegrass Superior Foods, in Louisville, Kentucky. David had been in talks with Tammy and Mike to produce their products on a larger scale and help them to grow the business by bringing production out of their kitchen and into his. David had experience in the food industry dating back to 1999. He worked hard for others until 2015 when he opened his own co-packing facility, Bluegrass Superior Foods, LLC. The plan was to still produce small-batch products made by a team of dedicated food workers with quality and care in every step. Instead, Tammy and Mike opted to sell David the business! They knew David’s background and felt confident the transition of Applecreek Specialty Foods to his capable hands would be seamless. Applecreek Specialty Foods is now produced in Louisville, Kentucky, and still proud to be a Kentucky product.

So try a sample of Applecreek Specialty Food's fruit butters, preserves, marinade, barbeque sauces, salsas, caramel and chocolate dessert sauces, and you will agree that Buddy's insistence on quality still works! David is proudly carrying on that tradition.