In 2016, Michael Januska launched Old Brooklyn Cheese Co., an artisanal cheese venture in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood. In his quest to find the perfect accompaniment for those amazing cheeses, the owner began experimenting with whole-seed mustards. After exploring various mustard seed blends, and processes like fermentation and smoking, Januska launched Old Brooklyn Mustard. Before long, distinctive products like Original IPA, Pepped Up and Bohemian Blend were snagging top honors in food competitions around the country.
And yet, says Januska, his products were failing to gain the attention and traction he felt they deserved. He wasn’t alone. Michael Symon, one of Old Brooklyn Mustard’s biggest fans, had the same impression.
“At Lola, we always did these pickled-mustard seeds, and I thought his products were superior even to what we were making,” says Symon.
Recently, Symon and Januska formed a business partnership.
“I started working his mustards into my repertoire — using them more and more in recipes and for cookbooks — and that’s how the partnership started,” adds Symon.
After rebranding the products as POP Mustard, the Cleveland-based company is poised for growth, adds Symon.
“There are a lot of whole-grain mustards out there, but there’s nothing like what Michael is making,” he says. “I feel that there’s an opportunity for a unique whole-seed mustard like this to go nationwide.”
Januska says that all of the changes are on the outside of the jar; the mustards are still produced in Old Brooklyn using the same ingredients, techniques and recipes.
“Nothing has changed; we just got a new coat of paint,” Januska says.
Customers will begin seeing the new labels on store shelves shortly. And those store shelves might start multiplying, says Symon, adding that some very big distribution deals are currently being ironed out.
In advance of these developments, Januska recently invested heavily into his production facility, giving him the ability to scale up output.
POP Mustard is launching with three varieties: Smoked, Kraut, and Original IPA.
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