Why Brooklyn Peltz Beckham started a hot sauce brand: ‘I wanted to make condiments sexy again'

Brooklyn Peltz Beckham is only 25, but he's already tried his hand at a number of careers.

Growing up, he followed in his father David's footsteps and played soccer and modeled. A few years ago, he released a photography book. These days, he says he's found his calling in the kitchen.

Peltz Beckham, along with co-founders Gabe Pepe and Kai Gayoso, is behind the newly-released Cloud23, an elevated take on hot sauce now available at Whole Foods across the country. In an interview with CNBC Make It, Peltz Beckham said the idea for the company came to him during pandemic lockdowns.

"I kind of was just like, 'I love cooking, but I don't really want to be a chef,'" he says. "I'm obsessed with design, so I wanted to go into the business aspect of cooking." 

After doing research, Peltz Beckham says he found an opening in the hot sauce and condiment market where he could make his mark. What followed was three years of R&D, resulting in a hot sauce bottle that doesn't look quite like anything else on store shelves.

"I wanted to make condiments sexy again," he tells Make It. "I think the look is as important as what goes in the bottle. That's what draws people to buy it first."

The organic sauces come in two flavors, Sweet Jalapeño and Hot Habanero, and retail for $34.99 for a two-pack

Peltz Beckham knows people might be quick to dismiss Cloud23 as a celebrity vanity project, but he says that the brand isn't something he just "slapped my name on" to make a quick buck.

"I designed every tiny little aspect of Cloud23," he says. "I designed the bottle from scratch. I named it. I designed the sauce myself. This is like my baby."

"I love going to visit my co-packers in Arizona," he adds. "When I was trying to find investors, I helped with the investor deck and I met with each investor and told them how passionate I was about it."

Peltz Beckham has big plans for his brand. Cloud23 is already at work on its take on other popular condiments. His hope is that the brand finds its way into "every single kitchen in America" and eventually outlasts him.

"I've never been so happy doing work in my life," he says. "I really wanted to make a name for myself and I really wanted to show people that I found what I love." 

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