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Gig Harbor woman has a salsa success story

Rebecca Small had just finished making a new chorizo paste in the commercial kitchen where she grew a small side business into a full-time venture called a Small Specialty Salsa and Sauces.

She started her business with one salsa flavor. Now she offers 46 flavors of salsas and sauces at farmers markets, small grocery stores and online.

The People’s Choice

That chorizo was inspired by a similar paste she presented at the 2026 Green Gig Chowder Social, a fundraiser for the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation. She placed second in the People’s Choice competition for her Poblano Chorizo Chowder, which uses her salsa and house-made chorizo paste.

Rebecca Small works in a commercial kitchen to craft her salsa and sauces. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Small

In 2025, she took second for a Mexican street corn chowder that also used her salsa and DIY salsa seasoning packet.

“I went in as a salsa maker to show people what they could make with salsa, and to promote my salsa sales,” Small said. “I beat out Johnny’s Dock and Table 47 (and) I was floored. … The people chose my salsa.”

Chorizo is traditionally made with seasoned meat, including some animal organs, Small said. It then gets stuffed into a natural pork casing. But since many of her customers are vegetarian or vegan, Small wanted to come up with a chorizo that they could enjoy.

“I did a lot of research on recipes, and I make my own,” she said. “Every time I make a new product, I start with the salsa as a paste to mix with vegetables, chicken and eggs. It’s just a flavor enhancer. It elevates your flavor and people really do love chorizo, but I don’t think they know what they’re eating.”

Small sources her vegetables from local grocery stores and buys peppers from a farm in Yakima. Her salsas are blended, not chunky. Blending vegetables and spices ensures that each bite of salsa has a consistent flavor, she said.

Salsa serendipity

One may presume that Small has a culinary background, is a foodie, or set her sights on becoming a chef as a child. None of that is the case. Small stumbled into the business of salsas and sauces.

It started with a party where she served her homemade salsa. The guests loved it and asked for more.

They loved it so much that they encouraged her to package it and sell it. Small started out with her original recipe, created hot, medium and mild options, and packaged it to take to the Gig Harbor farmers market. 

She leased space in a commercial kitchen, bought the required insurance, got a license with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, and got permits through the county health department.

Rebecca Small spends most of her waking hours working on her small business, “a Small Specialty Salsa and Sauces.” She makes 30 gallons of salsa and sauces each week. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Small

Where to buy

Small quickly became a very busy salsa and sauce maker. She started pushing her products into local stores and began to develop her product line with flavors like pineapple, mango, avocado tomatillo and unique salsas like pickled pepper salsa.

She roasts the vegetables to build different flavors, she said. Using her trusty tools of a food processor and blender, Small crafts up to 30 gallons of salsas and sauces each week.

Now, customers can find a Small Specialty products at five farmers markets in Gig Harbor and Tacoma, and at local grocery stores such as Finholm’s and Zog’s on Fox Island.

Salsas sell for $6.35 to $12.99. A combo package — which includes salsa, a DIY seasoning packet and a bag of Juanita’s chips — goes for $20. Customers can orders via her website, and delivery is an option with a $10 minimum order.

Full-time business

In 2017, after working for 24 years as a debt collector, she took the big leap. She quit her job to focus on working for herself.

She blends vegetables and spices to create salsas and sauces in small batches. Then she labels each container, and packs them up for distribution and sale at five different area farmers markets.

She continues to create new recipes, but she doesn’t have any interest in growing her business into a big brand.

“You go to the farmers market and you’re tasting people’s passion for what they’re doing,” she said. “You go into distribution and you lose that. A lot of businesses want to sit on a shelf at a large grocery store, but I want to keep it local.”

For more information, or to order, visit asmallspecialty.square.site.