About us
With the ethnic diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area, the range of edibles found locally has become world renown. The global infusion of flavors and the fresh California grown produce makes this area a haven for foodies. Spice Hound takes advantage of our close proximity to this food mecca to soak in the wide array of cuisine choices and provide products to help chefs capture the spirit of this diversity.
Our Mission
We offer our customers, from the individual cook to the professional chef and restaurant community, a global collection of pure and aromatic spices for everyday use. Our knowledgeable team will always provide service to our customers with honesty and integrity. Every order is freshly packed and custom blended prior to shipment, maximizing the shelf life to the consumer.
Sustainability
Spice Hound is committed to providing the highest quality products through socially and environmentally responsible business practices. We are constantly exploring ways to minimize long-term effects on the environment. We do not use any preservatives, fillers or chemicals, maintaining all natural ingredients in our spices, blends and salts. We are vigilant about conserving energy by shutting off appliances and lights in rooms not occupied. We recycle packaging, paper products and plastics where possible and we utilize recyclable materials in our packaging. As our company grows, we will continually strive to maintain and expand our green practices.
Story of Spice Hound
Motivated by her extensive travels and passion for food, Tammy Tan founded Spice Hound in March 2007 to introduce people to unique flavors and aromas through spices. She started selling at a kiosk in San Jose before moving into farmers markets, festivals and online.
In 2011, she opened her first retail store inside 331 Cortland Marketplace, a marketplace featuring six unique food vendors, in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco.
Her second store opened in 2014 at the Second Act Marketplace in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. Second Act Marketplace was built in the original Red Vic Movie Theater and featured five food vendors and a large event space.
As life intervenes, Tammy decided to start a family and had to make the difficult decision to close each storefront as each of her two children were born. Though she misses the in-person interaction, she continues to connect with customers via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and to sell her products online.
Tammy has also started a podcast called Lettuce Wrap with Christine Doerr of NeoCocoa. Lettuce Wrap is about food, food businesses and the people who work with and in food businesses.