My Story

I was raised in a large family on S&J Ranch in Monkton, Maryland. A.W. Schmidt & Son was our family-owned butcher shop in Baltimore for over 110 years. You can imagine the spectacular backyard barbecues and big family dinners I’ve experienced!

My premium custom-blended spices are developed with high-quality ingredients that create a flavor profile with depth and diversity. I decided to create my seasonings after too many trips to the grill carrying too many different spices!

I’ve always loved cows and cooking. I raised many prize-winning Hereford cattle and won Grand Champion Overall Baked Goods at the Maryland State Fair when I was 15! I owned a food truck at the University of Delaware long before it was cool. I managed The Rusty Rudder, one of the biggest beach resorts in the Mid-Atlantic.

I'm a self-made chef and started my own catering company. I was doing farm-to-table way before it was called farm-to-table! I helped open and manage Food Network star Guy Fieri’s restaurant in Baltimore—his love of grilling, smoking, and BBQ was a big inspiration. I made the final auditions for Gordon Ramsay’s MasterChef Season 14 and appear in the first episode.

Cowboy AL Spices are made with a passion for cooking that will leave you wondering how that much flavor comes from one jar! I'm currently with the Atlas Restaurant Group, managing The Watershed seafood restaurant in Federal Hill. I still cook, grill, smoke, cater, and create the best backyard barbecues in town!

I hope you enjoy my spices as much as I do!

Enjoy! Buy Local!