by The Urban Grocer in New Food and Packaging on Saturday 7 May 2011

Of all of the tasty condiments out there – savory jams, off-the-wall chutneys, exotic spreads — mayonnaise might seem like the ultimate Plain Jane. No longer. Allow us to introduce you to a tiny little company called Empire Mayonnaise, purveyors of ‘luxury’ mayo in flavors like pistachio, black garlic, and smoked paprika.

‘We realized that there was nothing really out there competing with Hellman’s, and that many people were never getting to experience the pleasure of freshly made mayo’, says chef and Empire co-founder Sam Mason. So he teamed up with designer Elizabeth Valleau – the brain behind the jars’ nifty, retro labels — and Empire Mayo was born. If you’re dying for a taste, you’ll have to hightail it to the Brooklyn Flea Market, which is the only place Empire Mayonnaise is sold, at least for now. But here’s hoping that Sam and Elizabeth make their concoctions available online — and schmear the mayo love all over the world.