OKIE MADE

Seikel’s Oklahoma Gold Old Style Mustard was started in 2013 by Steve Seikel (pronounced “cycle”) and his father Paul, owner of Pearl’s restaurant group. The Oklahoma City Seikel family has been in the restaurant business for over 40 years. Steve, not being able to find a satisfactory mustard on the shelves, “I initially made the mustard for myself just as a self-indulgence. Once a few test runs were made, I realized the demand for a local, preservative-free, all-natural mustard with some character that others in the market lacked. They would be too sweet, too bitter, bad texture, weird preservatives.” Seikel’s sweet, spicy, cracked-grain mustard is vegan, gluten free, HFCS free, with no additives, dyes, or preservatives and is made with non-irradiated spices. (Most spices are irradiated to inhibit mold growth or other less desirable effects during shipping.)

Upon making his sweet spicy gold mustard for friends and family, the demand skyrocketed and it was picked up by distributors such as Ben E. Keith, Sysco, and D.E. Holman. Seikel’s Mustard is produced in Tahlequah at Backwoods Foods and is distributed across five states with all revenue returning to Oklahoma. Steve says he enjoys his mustard in salad dressings, in marinades for smoked meat on his Hasty Bake, as a simple honey mustard sauce, on a sandwich and by the spoonful. He says, “Brown sugar and my mustard on a smoked ham is all you need to wow your friends and family.”

After spending many years serving his tribe as a healthcare executive for Cherokee Nation at W.W. Hastings Hospital, Steve has decided to pursue his MBA, which he will complete in 2016, and start selling his product. He says that soon he will be “planning a road trip across the country with only jars of Seikel’s Oklahoma Gold and pure ambition.” He hopes the next step for Seikel’s is continued growth throughout surrounding states in local restaurants and retail stores.

Seikel’s is a proud and enthusiastic member of the Made in Oklahoma Coalition (MIO) and an active participant in their events and promotions. Steve says MIO has blossomed into a wonderfully supportive and genuine organization in the last few years. Working with the Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture, they provide invaluable resources for all Oklahoma-made food products from subsidizing advertisements like TV ads and billboards, to providing promotional brochures and a myriad of events throughout the year. The next such event is the Made in Oklahoma Expo held in Goldsby, OK, January 20th from 10am to 4pm in the Southwind Hills Venue. MIOCoalition.com

Locally, Seikel’s is available at Whole Foods, Ida Red, Bodean Fish Market, and Petty’s in Tulsa; Oasis Health Foods in Tahlequah; and at all 17 Reasor’s locations.

For orders, email Seikel@gmail.com, call 918.316.2165, or contact your local Ben E. Keith or Sysco representative.