Cary Family's Mustard-Ketchup Condiment Hits Store Shelves

CARY, IL — A local family has entered into a partnership with a local distribution company to put its condiment creation, MustKetch, on the shelves at grocery stores across the Chicago area. MustKetch, a combination of mustard of ketchup, is the brainchild of Todd Somers of Cary.

It all started when Somers, a sports fan and former Northwestern University quarterback, was waiting in a long line at a sporting event for mustard and ketchup when he wondered, "why hasn't anyone combined these two tasty condiments before?"

He and college sweetheart Ann, who later became his wife, started experimenting and blending different proportions of ketchup and mustard in their kitchen in Trout Valley and discovered some interesting flavors, according to a news release. They named their concoction MustKetch. Todd and his brother, Scott, an entrepreneur in Los Angeles, then came up with an initial plan to launch three Somers Family MustKetch flavors to the Chicago market and beyond, and Executive Chef Charlie Baggs perfected the line of unique condiments.

Now, Somers Family Specialties LLC has entered into a partnership with Norman Distribution to place Somers Family MustKetch on shelves across Chicagoland. MustKetch can be found in several Butera and Caputo's stores fine grocery and retail locations. It is also available for purchase on Amazon.

The Somers Family special mustard and ketchup recipe includes an array of spices and natural flavors. MustKetch has no preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup, genetically modified food ingredients, or artificial flavors or colors and is also gluten- and cholesterol-free, with only 35 calories per two-tablespoon serving, according to a news release.

"In a city that loves bold food choices, MustKetch is an innovative addition to our family of brands," said Patrick Meyn, director of procurement & vendor management at Norman Distribution, Inc. "Eye-catching packaging, a clean label and the Somers Family's proactive efforts to help us merchandise the brand will make MustKetch a home run with Chicago-area consumers. It’s not often a brand gets it right the first time, but the Somers Family did."

There are currently three MustKetch varieties available for sale: MustKetch Original, MustKetch Zesty and MustKetch Smoke.

Somers Family MustKetch is manufactured in Melrose Park and packaged and warehoused in Elgin.