Two photos: People cooking & serving chili; someone carrying food in a restaurant

SCOTT MORITZ FOUNDER & CULINARY Genius

Pasta noodles and sauce being cooked

Secret Aardvark Trading Co. was founded in 2004 by creative and culinary genius Scott Moritz. His love of travel, surfing, making music and telling stories was matched only by his passion for discovering the flavors of the world. We began hawking sauce at Portland farmers markets and now we’re in over 1,000 (and counting) roadhouses, eateries, and groceries from here to New York City, proudly gracing tables where the food matters, but the décor may not.

Scott’s life in food began when he entered a chili cook-off at age thirteen. He went on to start a pie company, several catering businesses, a tamale cart, and was a co-founder of Portland’s own Salvador Molly’s. Friends and family always coveted a spot at Scott’s table, where you never knew what delicious and unforgettable dishes (and tales) would emerge from the kitchen.

The path to where we are now wasn’t a clear cut one by any means. It started with a flavor savant and a project. And that project was honestly just meant to occupy his time to stay out of trouble with his wife Stacy. But it eventually out grew farmers markets to the brand you find today in stores across the country.

Scott’s adventures ended far too soon when we lost him to pancreatic cancer in 2009. His passing left us to carry forward his dream of sharing his unique, flavorful, and affordable sauces with the world. And we are proud to do so. Scott’s legacy lives on in Secret Aardvark as we continue to be just as fun, quirky and irreverent to the status quo as he would have wanted us to be.

Now headed by our (sometimes) fearless leader Stacy, we’re continuing to push flavor boundaries. With a background in the healthcare field, Stacy never thought she’d become an entrepreneur, but her love for taking care of her people and doing things a little differently quickly became her calling. That includes finding inspiration in the most unexpected places – like coffee, hot peppers and Luxardo cherries in Vegas.

While we call Portland home, our sauces have been inspired by all corners of the globe, to bring the best and richest ingredients together in our recipes. Even while we’re trotting around the world for curious flavors to put a twist on a classic, we never forget our roots. That means giving back 3% of net profits to local charities. That means staying active in our local music scene. That means choosing plastic containers that are produced just 200 miles away instead of glass containers overseas because that reduces our carbon footprint. As we grow, we’ll always continue to ask ourselves how we can continue to push the boundaries of our sauces and marinades, and do our part to make the world a little better and happier.

 -The Secret Aardvark Team,

Your perfect partner in crime for that finely crafted moxie you can use time and again.

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  • Overhead view of piles of red, orange, yellow, and green peppers

    Thoughtful Ingredients

    Secret Aardvark is more than salt, water, and vinegar. And we love those three things! But want to do something different. Each ingredient is carefully curated and tested until it's just the way we like it.

  • Night view of lighted Portland Oregon old town sign

    Conscious
    Community

    Portland is our home, and that means a lot to us. We love the Pacific Northwest not just for its beauty, but for its values, culture, food, and its people. That's why a portion of our net income is reinvested into our community.

  • Rob wearing a secret aardvark t-shirt on top of a snowy mountain

    Unexpectedly
    Inspired

    "Keep Portland Weird" isn't just a tourism slogan. It's a state of mind. We also know that inspiration can strike anywhere. That's why we're committed to looking everywhere to find inspiration, even some unexpected places.

3% of our net profits go back to the community!

Secret Aardvark Drunken Jerk next to skewers

We make it a priority to contribute to a wide range of charitable programs and events. Some of the causes close to our heart include food security, education, active lifestyle, music and arts, health, healthcare research, and environmental protection.

We Also Support Festivals and Events

The world without art and music just seems…awful. Our founder Scott was a talented musician in his own right, and giving back to music and arts festivals seems like the perfect way to honor his legacy, give back to our community, and, let’s be honest, have some fun!

Supporting Those Who Support Us

While we can’t give to every cause that’s near and dear to us, we do our best to make our impact as meaningful and widespread as possible. If you’d like to submit a donation request, please contact our Goodwill Ambassador Kip at kip@secretaardvark.com.

  • OPB Logo

    Oregon Public Broadcasting: giving voice to the community, connecting Oregon and its neighbors, illuminating a wider world.

  • Jeremy Wilson Foundation Logo: Supporting those who make the soundtracks of our lives

    Dedicated to providing emergency financial assistance and to improving the overall well-being of individual musicians, industry workers and their families during times of medical or unexpected situational crises.

  • Rose City Rollers logo

    RCR’s vision is to train the best roller derby athletes and teams in the world, to lead the growth of the sport locally and internationally, and to increase access for members and fans alike.

  • Relay For Life, American Cancer Society logo

    Funds raised through Relay For Life directly support breakthrough research, 24/7 support for cancer patients, access to lifesaving screenings, and much more.

  • Logo for Crag Law Center, celebrating 20 years.

    Through a unique model of legal aid for the environment, Crag provides free and low-cost legal services to communities, environmental groups and tribes fighting to protect our wild places, clean water, communities and climate. Learn more at: crag.org.

  • p:ear logo: Creating mentoring homeless youth

    An eating contest that tests the tolerance for spicy food, while raising money for HEAT Oregon, a nonprofit which helps low-income families pay their heating bills.

We also support local events & festivals

Secret Aardvark Trading Co. proudly supports our community with a focus on fun, music, arts, active lifestyle and great food. We like getting up close and personal. Find out what we are up to! We’ll see you there!

supporting those who support us

We believe in supporting those who support us so we focus on the communities where Secret Aardvark is sold. If you would like to submit a donation request, please contact Kip our Goodwill Ambassador at kip@secretaardvark.com