Country Bob's

When I was growing up, I liked to put ketchup and Worcestershire sauce on my steak, much to the consternation of my father and my Uncle Jack.  I liked the combination of the tastes of the condiments with the meat.  I was never an A1 fan, nor did I care for Heinz 57.  But I liked the combination of the sweetness of the ketchup with the tangy bite of the Worcestershire sauce.

As I grew up and my tastes became more refined, I quit putting much of anything on my steaks.  A lot of it had to do with the lack of what I thought was a good steak sauce.  But I still pined for that ketchup/Worcestershire sauce taste.    

A mild epiphany in life happened when I was visiting my brother and sister-in-law in west central Illinois about 12 years ago.  We had steak one night for dinner and my sister-in-law, Becky, put this bottle of Country Bob's All Purpose steak sauce on the table.  I'd never heard of the stuff before and she said, "Oh, this is the best steak sauce in the world."  I tried some and it hit me - this was the combination of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce that I had been looking for!  And it was in one bottle!  I had to get a bottle to take home with me.  

Country Bob's got its start in the late 1960's in Mount Vernon, IL when "Country" Bob Edson came up with a homemade steak sauce that friends and family raved about.  After giving it away for nearly 9 years, Edson started to sell the steak sauce in small jars and bottles.  It wasn't until 1982 when Country Bob's actually became a company opening a small plant in Irvington, IL.  The problem was that Bob Edson didn't know anything about food manufacturing or retailing - he was in the fuel oil business.  

Pictured left - "Country" Bob Edson

He turned to his banker and good friend, Al Malekovic, to help him get started in the business.  Edson's son, Terry, and Malekovic's son, Reed, were both working in the construction business, but the fathers were able to convince the young men that they could run the company.  While Bob Edson continued to work in the fuel oil industry for the time being, Terry Edson became the CEO of Country Bob's, Reed Malekovic became the VP of Operations, and Al Malekovic was the chief financial officer and the director of marketing for the company.  

The group made a few mistakes along the way, but the learning curve was long and gradual.  At first, Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce was sold in small independent rural grocery stores.  However, the sauce grew a following and more larger stores began to sell the steak sauce as the independents slowly went out of business.  Today, Country Bob's is found in places like Walmart, Kroger, Hy-Vee and other grocery store chains primarily in the Midwest and South.  

Bob Edson passed away in 2001 and Terry Edson and Reed Malekovic continue to run the operation today which is now located in Centralia, IL.  (Update - Country Bob's opened a new manufacturing facility just south of Centralia where they not only manufacture their sauce lines, but the bottles the sauces go into.  They were having trouble with suppliers keeping up with the demand of bottles they needed.  The new plant took care of that problem.)

About the only problem I have with Country Bob's is that they wear religion on their sleeves a little too much for me.  I'm not a religious person, but I do appreciate the fact that they believe Christ is their "C.E.O".  I'm of the opinion that religion - like politics - is not something that should be discussed in public.  And it should be left off of steak sauce bottles.

I understand that Country Bob's now has a "spicy" sauce to go along with their original sauce.  I don't know if I could handle something more zippy than the original Country Bob's.  I might have a serious meltdown in pure joy.  I can't wait to find the stuff.  I'll be sure to report the results when I do come across it.  

Comments

[Angela Collins]

Is "God is our CEO" printed on the side of the bottle?

[Road Tips]

Actually, on the side of the bottle it says "Christ is our CEO" with an ichthus symbol between "is" and "our".

[Mary watso]

If country bob is outdated 9/19/22 is it still good