2026 Sauce King NYC™ judging will commence October 20th with results expected to be announced in November! Do you have what it takes to be King? The best sauces, rubs, marinades, and condiments for Sauce King NYC™ are about to find out! Domestic and international shelf-stable entries in the world of seasonings have been received – the sky is the limit! Sauce King NYC™ encourages NYC metropolitan area fledgling startups and restaurants to submit fresh and non-shelf-stable sauces for The Duane Joseph Grand Palate Award. Read on for more details, and contact us with any questions.
Shelf-stable products have been processed and packaged for retail sale and room-temperature storage before opening.
Entries open to domestic and international producers.
Registration for shelf-stable entries open through October 11, 2026. Submissions must be received by October 19th, 2026.
Fresh and Non-Shelf-Stable Products
Fresh and non-shelf-stable products require refrigeration or have not been packaged for retail sale.
Entries open to NYC metropolitan area producers.
2026 registration and drop off dates to be announced soon.
COMPETITION CATEGORIES
Sauce King NYC™ judges recognize products in several categories, such as:
Hot Sauce
Traditional hot sauces or sriracha-style sauces
Overall BBQ Sauce
Kansas City BBQ Sauce, Carolina BBQ Sauce, Whiskey or Bourbon BBQ Sauce, Red Chili BBQ Sauce, Spicy BBQ Sauce, White BBQ Sauce, etc.
Innovative BBQ Sauce
Creative sauces such as fruit-based BBQ sauces
Grill Sauce
Sauces meant to be used when grilling
International Sauce
Sauces submitted by producers outside the U.S.
Everything Sauce
Sauces that can be eaten with a wide range of foods
Marinade
Sauces used to flavor foods before cooking
Condiment
Sauces added to foods after cooking, such as ketchup, mustard, relish, etc.
Rub
Dry seasoning mixtures applied to foods
The Duane Joseph Grand Palate Award
In memory of Duane Joseph, this award recognizes outstanding fresh and pre-production products by start-ups in the New York City metropolitan area.
Entrant Suggestions
Categories suggested by the Sauce King NYC™ Community
Hot Sauce
Traditional hot sauces or sriracha-style sauces
Overall BBQ Sauce
Kansas City BBQ Sauce, Carolina BBQ Sauce, Whiskey or Bourbon BBQ Sauce, Red Chili BBQ Sauce, Spicy BBQ Sauce, White BBQ Sauce, etc.
Innovative BBQ Sauce
Creative sauces such as fruit-based BBQ sauces
Grill Sauce
Sauces meant to be used when grilling
International Sauce
Sauces submitted by producers outside the U.S.
Everything Sauce
Sauces that can be eaten with a wide range of foods
Marinade
Sauces used to flavor foods before cooking
Condiment
Sauces added to foods after cooking, such as ketchup, mustard, relish, etc.
Rub
Dry seasoning mixtures applied to foods
The Duane Joseph Grand Palate Award
In memory of Duane Joseph, this award recognizes outstanding fresh and pre-production products by start-ups in the New York City metropolitan area.
Entrant Suggestions
Categories suggested by the Sauce King NYC™ Community
If your product deserves recognition in a category not listed, suggest a category on your entry form. Sauce King NYC™ judges will consider your recommendation when determining award winners.
HOW TO REGISTER FOR SAUCE KING NYC™
Select your most amazing sauces, rubs, marinades, and condiments.
Sauce King NYC™ welcomes entries from producers outside the U.S. If you are registering outside the U.S., please contact us, and a PayPal link will be provided for registration.
Once registration is complete, you will receive a Registration Confirmation email.
Submit registered entries to Sauce King NYC™ using the instructions below.
Select your most amazing sauces, rubs, marinades, and condiments.
Sauce King NYC™ welcomes entries from producers outside the U.S. If you are registering outside the U.S., please contact us, and a PayPal link will be provided for registration.
Once registration is complete, you will receive a Registration Confirmation email.
Submit registered entries to Sauce King NYC™ using the instructions below.
HOW TO SUBMIT ENTRIES TO SAUCE KING NYC™
Registered for Sauce King NYC™? Now it’s time to get your entries to the Sauce King NYC™ judges in New York. Shelf-stable entries may be shipped, but fresh or non-shelf-stable products must be dropped off in person.
Do not ship fresh and non-shelf-stable Sauce King NYC™ entries. Registration and drop off information for fresh or non-shelf-stable products will be announced soon.
Submitting Shelf-Stable Entries
Shelf-stable entries must be registered on or before October 11, 2026.
Prepare registered shelf-stable entries for shipping.
Include 2 containers of each submission
All items must be standard consumer sizes in their original retail packaging.
Entries must be received by October 19, 2026.
Do not ship fresh and non-shelf-stable products. For instructions on SubmittingFresh and Non-Shelf-StableEntries, see below
In the shipping box, also include a printout of your Registration Confirmation email or the following information:
Product name and Entry Category for each registered entry
Ship shelf-stable entries to: The Bronx Beer Hall Sauce King / Anthony Ramirez II 2344 Arthur Avenue Bronx, NY 10458
You will receive a confirmation email when we receive your entries.
Registered for Sauce King NYC™? Now it’s time to get your entries to the Sauce King NYC™ judges in New York. Shelf-stable entries may be shipped, but fresh or non-shelf-stable products must be dropped off in person.
Do not ship fresh and non-shelf-stable Sauce King NYC™ entries. Registration and drop off information for fresh or non-shelf-stable products will be announced soon.
SubmittingShelf-Stable Entries
Shelf-stable entries must be registered on or before October 11th.
Prepare registered shelf-stable entries for shipping.
Include 2 containers of each submission
All items must be standard consumer sizes in their original retail packaging.
Entries must be received by October 19, 2026.
Do not ship fresh and non-shelf-stable products. For instructions on SubmittingFresh and Non-Shelf-StableEntries, see below.
In the shipping box, also include a printout of your Registration Confirmation email or the following information:
Product name and Entry Category for each registered entry
Ship shelf-stable entries to: The Bronx Beer Hall Sauce King / Anthony Ramirez II 2344 Arthur Avenue Bronx, NY 10458
You will receive a confirmation email when we receive your entries.
Submitting Fresh and Non-Shelf-Stable Entries
Do not ship fresh and non-shelf-stable Sauce King NYC™ entries. Fresh and non-shelf-stable registered entries must be dropped off in person. Registration and Drop-off dates will be announced soon.
Registered fresh and non-shelf-stable entries must be submitted in person to the specified person and location.
Prepare registered fresh and non-shelf-stable products for submission. Entries should be securely packaged in consumer-sized containers with lids. Clearly label each entry.
Include a printout of your Registration Confirmation email or the following information with your entries:
Product name and Entry Category for each registered entry
Drop off entries at the specified location at the specified time.
Do not drop off registered entries outside the specified drop-off windows.
Do not ship fresh and non-shelf-stable Sauce King NYC™ entries. Fresh and non-shelf-stable registered entries must be dropped off in person. Registration and Drop-off dates will be announced soon.
Registered fresh and non-shelf-stable entries must be submitted in person to the specified person and location.
Prepare registered fresh and non-shelf-stable products for submission. Entries should be securely packaged in consumer-sized containers with lids. Clearly label each entry.
Include a printout of your Registration Confirmation email or the following information with your entries:
Product name and Entry Category for each registered entry
