One day in 2015 when she was 8 years old, Kari Yarbrough decided to mess around in the kitchen and see what she could come up with. It was a rainy day, and her dad was planning to barbecue chicken and ribs and she wanted to create the dry rub spice. She pulled everything out of the cabinet and began mixing.

“This looks like it would be good,” she thought as she rummaged through the pantry picking out different seasonings. When she completed her base spice concoction, she tasted and compared it against a dry rub they already had and thought hers was better. Her dad, Chad Yarbrough, used her mix that evening and they’ve never looked back.

While Kari says it all happened accidentally, it was an instant hit with friends and family. “There was no hesitation, Dad wanted to get it out there the next week. I was nervous to put it in front of people, but I was interested to see what would happen.”

Kari mixed up a big container and they began testing it on others, primarily at local sporting events. Chad played defensive end on the Troy University football team and enjoys competitive barbecuing. The Yarbroughs tested Kari’s spice by grilling along the sidelines and offering barbecue to fans at Troy baseball and softball games. They became a popular addition to the games as they perfected the recipe. Needless to say,  KEY’s Southern Spice was a big hit!

“Getting KEY’S Southern Spice up and running was a family affair with everyone joining in the prep work,” says Kari. The original formula is written in pencil and is very sloppy.”  The Yarbrough family moved to Fairhope from Troy in 2016 when Chad, a commercial banker, joined as Senior V.P. of Commercial Lending at United Bank.

As the business grew, Kari tested KEY’S Southern Spice in marinades and sauces. She tells me it works well with just about anything; pork, beef, chicken, wild game, fish, and vegetables. “The flavor profile changes with each protein. It’s not the same every time. It’s not sugary, you can use a little bit for a hint of flavor or add more for a more robust flavor.”

They’ve created a Red Sweet Sauce, a Carolina Sauce, a Mustard-based sauce, and even an Alabama White Barbecue sauce using KEY’S Southern Spice. As demand grew, well-known restaurants and grocery stores wanted to use it. Bill-E’s in Fairhope lists KEY’S Southern Spice on its menu and won an award using Kari’s spices for its dry rub wings. Dragonfly Foodbar in Fairhope and Dragonfly Tavern in Daphne use it, and one restaurant in Pensacola uses 25 lbs per month.

Kari has been helping out in the kitchen since she was 6 or 7 years old. She tells me she thinks she has a perfect palate.  “There is not a food I have not tried to cook.” The success of KEY’S Southern Spice was almost immediate. In 2015, when they began selling to the public, it was a homegrown enterprise. “We came out of the gate swinging, working late into the evenings packaging product.”

A case of 12 bottles took an hour to put together, and demand was growing. One year later, they were selling KEY’S Southern Spice to Piggly Wiggly in Troy. Perfecting the recipe was challenging. It took about six times to get the formula just right. 

They contracted with a local Alabama co-packer who produced the blend for them and included the nutritional information that is required on the label. Consistency was paramount, and once the non-disclosure agreement was signed protecting the original formula, they were off to the races. They began mass production with their co-packer to prepare and package the blend with top-tier ingredients. “One particular ingredient has a unique flavor that we wanted in our flavor profile, so getting it right was important.”

Kari and family quickly found that using a co-packer actually made KEY’S Southern Spice better. “The quality of the ingredients is hands down better, fresher, higher grade, and more intense than store-bought ingredients.” An amber-colored bottle was added to protect the spice from UV light that bleaches the flavor. 

To broaden the appeal, Kari says her goal was to fuse the North Alabama and South Alabama palate into one. When COVID hit in 2020, things slowed down. People were forced to cook at home, restaurants closed or moved to take-out to survive. The Yarbroughs struggled to purchase bottles due to supply and demand. “There was a run on everything,” says Kari. Chad continued to enter barbecue competitions and people commented that they had never tasted anything like KEY’S Southern Spice.

KEY’S Southern Spice sponsored a friend who is a chef in the World Food Championship. In 2017, that chef placed in the Top 10  of the steak category at The Wharf in Orange Beach. Kari was asked to be a judge for the Grandparents category who were cooking for fun. They have participated in the Culinary Fight Club events, a competition that raises hunger awareness and funds through the Fight 2 Feed program.

KEY’S Southern Spice is a play on Kari’s name, Karen Elizabeth Yarborough. Now 18 years old, Kari says it’s been quite an adventure. She enjoys judging cooking competitions and says it has opened her palate. “How you cook certain dishes can vary. There’s not just one way to prepare things.”

She’s quick to point out that she doesn’t want to make a job out of her hobby. Her plans include studying to become a Certified Nursing Assistant after she graduates from high school this spring and then pursuing a degree to become a registered nurse. “This venture has been a big part of my life. it has taught me time management, and I’ve met so many people. It’s been a lot of work but so much fun!”

Kari does have time for other interests. She played softball, did gymnastics, and enjoys spending her free time outdoors whenever possible. “I love to hunt and fish, and we belong to a hunting club in Uriah.”

You will find KEY’S Southern Spice in Greer’s, Piggly Wigglys, the Blind Butcher Shoppe, and, Farm Fresh Meats, in Robertsdale, and specialty shops throughout the Gulf Coast. It is shipped to 48 states in the U.S. and Chad tells me they just sent four cases to Oklahoma. You can also find KEY’S Spice at Joe Patti’s, Maria’s Seafood, and Apple Market in Pensacola and Tacky Jacks in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Or find it online at Mykeysllc.com as well.

The Yarbroughs provide spices for many cooking competitions and have won awards at Bar B Que and Blues in Foley for Pork, and Chicken categories. “The KEY (pun intended) is getting it in people’s hands,” says Chad. “Sampling works. We get you hooked.” Pretty much anywhere in the Southeast, you can find KEY’S Southern Spice. While they have direct orders, 90% of their sales are wholesale to retail stores.

“We are very pro-Alabama,” says Kari. “Alabama is our home state, and we support local businesses for most everything.” One key to their success is ingenuity and quick response to customer needs. “If we get an order on Monday, it’s delivered on Tuesday,” says Chad.

Kari and her family continue to test new product lines. “I want my spices to work with everything. I’m working on a Sweet and Savory marinade.” She tells me her spice is all-natural, has no preservatives, is gluten-free, low in sodium, and has no MSG. What’s not to love about the success story that is Kari’s KEY’S Southern Spice?

Thank you, Kari and Chad. I enjoyed our time together. Thanks especially for my bottle of KEY’S Southern Spice. I’m hooked!

Note: Both KEY’S Southern Spice and Unlock the Flavor with KEY’S are registered trademarks of Kari Yarbrough’s business.