Amanda Nelson Varnell
Alchemy Spice Company on Wednesday announced that following an extensive brand refresh earlier this year, it has hired Amanda Nelson Varnell as its new Marketing and Culinary director, and it is also preparing to sell its handcrafted spice blends to restaurants across the country through US Foods’ Direct Program and to consumers across Tennessee through Publix grocery stores.
"Amanda brings extensive experience in cooking instruction, recipe development and growing a small business, so we’re thrilled to have her join our team,” said Henry Oehmig, CEO at Alchemy. “When we rolled out updated branding earlier this year, we did it with the goal of establishing Alchemy Spice Co. as a national brand of freshly ground, handcrafted spice blends. We’re excited to announce a milestone toward that goal as we prepare to sell our products through US Foods Direct and Publix stores across Tennessee.”
Ms. Varnell joins Alchemy after nine years at the helm of local catering company, Dish T’Pass, which she founded and led as its CEO. Cooking instructor, award winning caterer, recipe developer, and food stylist, Ms. Varnell will lead Alchemy’s communications and engagement around food content, also creating recipes, cooking classes, and video content for the Alchemy platform.
US Foods, a leading national foodservice distributor serving over 10,000 restaurants across the country, has added Alchemy Spice Company as a vendor and will distribute Alchemy’s 25 all-natural, freshly ground spice blends through its Direct Program focused on specialty food products. Alchemy’s products will be available to professional chefs to purchase through the US Foods portal in October or November.
Two of Alchemy’s Tennessee-themed seasonings, Scenic City Grilling Pepper and Memphis Dry Rub, will be sold at Publix’s 51 stores across the state, beginning in October, through the grocery chain’s Tennessee Local product program.
Alchemy has seen a fourfold increase in its foodservice sales since it came under new ownership in 2019, a business line providing staple spices and proprietary custom blends to leading restaurants and food companies in Chattanooga and the Southeast, as well as an international client in South Korea.
Henry and John Oehmig