Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina (PRWEB) October 07, 2013
A shiny new woman-owned business has just launched in Charleston—Jimbo's Lowcountry Foods, makers of Jimbo’s Lowcountry Seasoning. Jimbo’s is the result of three generations of southern man-cooks from the South Carolina Lowcountry, the coastal region renowned for its rich culinary tradition rooted in Caribbean, French, and Southern cuisines.
“My husband is a phenomenal home-grown cook who never picks up a recipe book,” comments Shirley Trainor-Thomas, CEO of Jimbo’s. “His creations are so full of flavor and Southern flair—and that’s what our seasoning is all about.”
It all began with the first Jimbo. During the Great Depression, Jimbo Sr. fed his family by picking up a few odd jobs and fishing. On Friday and Saturday nights, he set up a cooking station in a room in the back of Johnny Black's Grocery Store in Bamberg, S.C. Using hog lard and his own special meal, Jimbo Sr. fried up catfish, bream, sunfish, bass, and his wonderful hush puppies—a secret recipe that has been passed down for generations.
Jimbo Jr., who was also a great fisherman and fish fryer, became quite the barbeque expert. He was an army cook during WWII and a rigger at the Charleston naval base during the 1950s. As his family grew, he needed to supplement his income. So he decided to open a weekend barbeque eatery—a cinder-block room on his Summerville, S.C. property with a barbeque pit attached to the back. On Fridays and Saturdays, he would prepare the hogs while his wife, Bertha, cooked hash and rice. The backyard restaurant flourished for years.
Carrying on the family tradition, Jimbo III is an accomplished cook who has been featured in Charleston's Post and Courier newspaper. For years friends and family have urged him to open a restaurant. For Jimbo, having a restaurant and a set menu would take the fun out of creating meals. So he decided to share one of his secret seasonings instead.
Jimbo and Shirley, a Charleston-born-and-bred business executive, along with their son-in-law, Mike Mooney, launched Jimbo’s Lowcountry Seasoning in September 2013.
Jimbo’s can be purchased at jimboslowcountry.com and a growing number of retailers.
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