“I owe it all to my mother…” – how many times have we heard those words, from actors, to politicians, to star athletes,-- but from a local gal who spends her time now making salad dressing?
But that’s just what Nancy Price will tell you when you ask her about Nancy & Christine’s Gourmet Thousand Island Dressing. You see, throughout Nancy’s adult life she consistently made and served her mother, Christine’s, (her daughter’s name as well) recipe for her thousand island dressing, and she was consistently told, “Nancy, you need to bottle and sell this stuff!”
Nancy grew up in Columbia and graduated from AC Flora High School going on to attend Winthrop University, receiving an undergraduate degree in Radio and Television Communications and a Master’s degree in Speech Pathology. She practiced her career in speech pathology for many years in the Greenville school system and served in several nursing homes assisting stroke patients or people with debilitating brain injuries recover their ability to speak. After moving back to Columbia in 1988, she went to work at Midland Center treating those with speech impairments before retiring from Richland School District Two in 2003.
After “retiring”, with more time on her hands, and a new husband to feed, Nancy began making her dressing more often, and the exclamations began again. “Everyone just seemed to love the unique taste and the versatility of it,” hence the new logo tagline, “Dip It, Dress It, Spread It” suggested by her college suitemate, and then through a fortunate turn of events, Nancy ultimately sought out the assistance of a group called ECI.
ECI Find New Markets, is a non-profit public/private academic partnership that has helped many South Carolina companies get started, and, after awarding Nancy a small grant, helped her with bottle design, logo, packaging and helped achieve a Certified South Carolina Product designation. In June 2010, Nancy & Christine’s Gourmet Thousand Island Dressing was born.
You can currently find the refrigerated product in Piggly Wiggly grocery stores who have been committed to carrying South Carolina made products, as well as The Gourmet Shop in Five Points, Chef’s Choice in Chapin, Ole Timey Meat Markets on Rosewood and Two Notch, Four Oaks Farms.
Nancy recently had a booth at the Midlands Plant and Flower Show, has been featured on the ETV series “Making it Grow” (Feb 2011). She is included in a booth along with several other South Carolina companies at the America’s Mart in Atlanta, where buyers from all over the country come to sample and purchase SC products.
“Our biggest challenges are marketing and distribution,” Nancy says, “we are still utilizing DSD (direct store delivery), so that means me in a truck carrying cases of product to the store, and if we run out and don’t know about it, our customers can’t find it.”
The marketing part is taking time but coming together now with her new website where you can find points of distribution, watch her video, and learn more about the creation and ingredients, at www.dipitdressitspreadit.com.
“Getting the word out about the product is so important, because once you try it, you’re hooked,” says Sherri Misiak, a friend and food service product specialist for 20 years, ”It’s not just a salad dressing. The product is so versatile.” She explains that the gourmet dressing is excellent “anywhere you might put a condiment”, like hamburgers or Reuben sandwich; any seafood, like crab cakes, shrimp or calamari; it serves as a great base for potato or pasta dishes and “It makes absolutely the most delicious deviled eggs!”
For more information about Nancy & Christine’s Gourmet Thousand Island and other local businesses, see our website at www.relylocal.com and visit our blog. And for regular updates “friend” us on Facebook.
