In this exclusive interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Michael Lord, founder of Lord’s Hot Sauce, talks about his flavorful leap from fashion to food. After years shaping talent on global runways, he’s now crafting premium, barrel-aged hot sauces that celebrate bold taste and Canadian roots. What began as a creative experiment has evolved into a growing culinary brand igniting kitchens across the country
Michael Lord has spent over two decades in the modeling industry, spending time traveling and living in New York City and Paris, before launching the management in Montreal. As the President of Public Image Management, he has helped shape the careers of top talent, but his latest venture is turning just as many heads.
Enter Lord’s Hot Sauce, a make it short Canadian small-batch saucery founded in 2020 in Ontario. What started as a passion project has become Lord’s obsession: crafting all-natural, 100% organic, and sustainably grown hot sauces. Lord wanted to create something a little different than the traditional hot sauce so Michael began with one objective: craft sauce that excelled in both flavour and heat using only natural, whole ingredients. Using Canadian white oak barrels to ferment our peppers brings out unique flavour characteristics while ageing them up to 3 years. While still deeply involved in the world of talent, Michael is on a mission to build a “pepper kingdom”, one fiery bottle at a time.
Lord’s is a proudly Canadian-made and owned brand, with pepper farms and production based in Ontario and a team headquartered in Montreal. As a Canadian entrepreneur, Michael continues to grow his businesses with passion, navigating the challenges that come his way.
You’ve had a fascinating journey from the world of modeling and talent management to launching your own Canadian hot sauce brand. What inspired you to make this bold entrepreneurial pivot, and what personal experiences shaped Lord’s Hot Sauce?
Before launching Lord’s Hot Sauce, I spent over two decades in the modeling and talent management industry. Today, I remain deeply rooted in that world through my agency, Public Image. Throughout my career, I’ve traveled the globe and experienced countless cultures and cuisines. These experiences fostered my appreciation for high-quality, flavorful food and the craftsmanship that goes into creating it. I was inspired by how, in many cultures, food is treated as an art form where every dish and ingredient is crafted with intention, not merely for sustenance but for the experience it provides.
What began as a personal passion project quickly turned into an obsession. I set out to create a hot sauce that would stand out for both its taste and craftsmanship, something not just about heat but about bold flavor, premium ingredients, and the ability to truly elevate any dish.
Too often, traditional hot sauces focus solely on spice, sacrificing balance and depth. I wanted to change that by using only whole, natural ingredients and a fermentation process that enhances both flavor and health benefits.
Lord’s Hot Sauce is known for ageing peppers up to three years in Canadian white oak barrels—a departure from traditional hot sauce production. Can you walk us through this process and how it contributes to the unique flavour profiles of your sauces?
Peppers are grown on a farm in Ontario Ontario, carefully selected at peak ripeness, and mashed to begin the fermentation process. We ferment our peppers in Canadian white oak barrels, where the sauce is aged for up to three years to draw out rich and nuanced flavour characteristics.
We use a method called wild fermentation, a centuries-old natural process that develops a deep, complex flavour profile very similar to what you’d find in aged wines or spirits. Unlike controlled fermentations that rely on a single yeast or bacteria strain, wild fermentation is driven by a variety of naturally occurring microorganisms meaning you’ll get a wider range of unique flavors and aromas than you would with a lab-grown strain. This fermentation not only enhances taste, but also introduces natural probiotics for added health benefits in every sauce bottle.
As a Canadian small business owner producing locally in Ontario, what have been some of the biggest challenges and advantages of building a completely Canadian-made and owned hot sauce brand?
The biggest challenge I would say is getting the brand in-front of customers. Brand recognition is difficult for any new business, it is especially difficult in a fast growing market that sees many small set ups. Consumers are flooded with large and small, local and international sauces. With this you not only have to have a great tasting product and well thought out branding you also need to position yourself that clearly differentiates your product from the sea of other new start up. This is also our biggest advantage. The uniqueness we offer with our Canadian oak barrel fermenting and flavours set us apart from the majority of other sauce companies
Your collaboration with MMA legend Georges St-Pierre generated tremendous buzz. How did this partnership come together, and what role do brand collaborations play in amplifying visibility and growth for a small but ambitious company like yours?
Georges St-Pierre was introduced to me by our mutual friend, Tim Rozon. Tim and I go way back to our modeling days, and he had known Georges through the industry as well. It was an organic connection. Georges tried the sauces one day, enjoyed them and then was interested in doing a collaboration. It was a natural process.
Georges St-Pierre has always been proud to represent Canada, and as a Canadian-made brand, we’re truly honoured to have him join us on this journey. It just made sense as his strength, discipline, and commitment to excellence really mirror the values behind Lord’s.
I always enjoy the opportunity to explore a brand collaboration. Having worked for years in the modelling industry, I’ve seen how two different brands can come together under one unified vision to truly deliver something that benefits both. When you’re running a small business in its first year in the market, a collaboration with a big name or other brand who shares similar values really helps customers better see and understand the bigger vision behind the product.
Finally, what advice would you share with other Canadian small business owners who want to bring a passion project to market while navigating the challenges of growth, branding, and innovation?
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. It will be harder than you think. An overnight success is usually 5-7 years in the making. It is long, hard and takes relentless commitment. People will doubt and many will tell you it won’t work. You need to be focused and committed. Power through the negative talk and stay committed. Take in everything and learn from mentors and don’t be afraid to fail. Things will not always go as planned and you need to learn from trials and be prepared to adapt and pivot along the way.
