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Jacklyn Little-Parhar Named Finalist for San Diego Magazine’s Celebrating Women Summit 2026

San Diego Pepper Company at the Point Loma farmers market holding an authentic bottle of San Diego sauce

We pour our passion for bold flavors and local ingredients into every bottle we make. But behind every great local business is a team of dedicated individuals driving that vision forward. Today, we are absolutely thrilled to share some incredible news about one of the visionaries behind our brand.

Our very own co-founder, Jacklyn Little-Parhar, has been named a finalist for San Diego Magazine’s Celebrating Women 2026 Summit in the Food + Beverage – Rising Star category!

Celebrating Female Leadership in San Diego’s Food & Beverage Industry

San Diego Magazine’s Celebrating Women Summit is an annual powerhouse event that recognizes the dynamic, innovative, and inspiring women shaping our city. To have Jacklyn recognized as a “Rising Star” among such a prestigious group of female leaders in the local food and beverage space is a monumental honor.

Jacklyn has been instrumental in building San Diego Pepper Company from the ground up. Her dedication to crafting authentic, high-quality flavors that capture the essence of the San Diego lifestyle is at the core of everything we do. Whether San Diego Sauce is being used for the ultimate San Diego Fish Taco White Sauce or being restocked at one of our local stores, business has been growing. A large part of this growth is thanks to the hard work and leadership Jacklyn has provided.

Deep Roots in the San Diego Community

Building a business in San Diego isn’t just about selling a product; it’s about becoming part of the local fabric. From the bustling farmers markets to the vibrant restaurant kitchens across the county, San Diego has one of the most exciting and diverse food scenes in the country.

Jacklyn’s nomination as a Rising Star reflects our brand’s deep commitment to this community. We are proud to be a local San Diego business, and we are constantly inspired by the other creators, chefs, and entrepreneurs who make America’s Finest City so flavorful. This recognition from San Diego Magazine validates the hard work and heart that goes into keeping our local food ecosystem thriving.

Join Us in Celebrating!

We want to extend a massive thank you to our incredible customers, retail partners, and the entire San Diego community. Your support allows small, locally-owned businesses like ours to dream big and achieve milestones like this.

We would love for you to join us in cheering on Jacklyn! You can view her finalist feature and check out all the amazing women nominated across the city by visiting the San Diego Magazine Celebrating Women 2026 voting page.

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San Diego’s Hot Sauce at the 2026 Best of San Diego Party (Event Recap)

Ilona Maher and the San Diego Pepper Company founders at San Diego Magazine's Best of San Diego 2026 Party

Summer in America’s Finest City always delivers, but this year’s San Diego Magazine 2026 Best of San Diego Party at Liberty Station Legacy Plaza was one for the history books.

Bringing together over 90 of the county’s best restaurants, breweries, and local artisans, the energy was electric. We were deeply honored to represent the local craft hot sauce scene. San Diego Pepper Company was the featured hot sauce—and the only hot sauce vendor showcased at the entire event.

The Ultimate Flavor Pairing: Puesto x San Diego Pepper Company

Location is everything, and we hit the absolute jackpot with our booth placement. We were set up right next to our friends at Puesto, who were serving up their legendary, melt-in-your-mouth birria tacos.

The lineup of hungry attendees naturally funnel straight from Puesto’s taco station right into ours. Tacos in hand, guests immediately dressed them with our signature San Diego Sauce. The combination of Puesto’s rich, savory birria paired with the bright, balanced kick of our San Diego Sauce proved to be a crowd-favorite match made in taco heaven!

Fan Favorite Moment: Meeting Ilona Maher!

Of all the incredible people we met throughout the evening, one highlight truly stole the show. We had the honor of meeting Olympic rugby superstar Ilona Maher!

Ilona Maher and the San Diego Pepper Company founders at San Diego Magazine's Best of San Diego 2026 Party
Ilona Maher and the San Diego Pepper Company founders at San Diego Magazine’s Best of San Diego 2026 Party

Ilona stopped by the table to taste through our lineup, and when she tried our Indian Spice Sauce, her reaction said it all. She loved the complex blend so much that we sent a bottle home with her. Having a powerhouse like Ilona championing our sauce was an unforgettable moment for our whole team!

Thank You, San Diego!

Events like this remind us why we love doing what we do. From seeing first-time tasters light up with delight to chatting with long-time fans who came out to support us, the San Diego community showed up in full force.

We want to send a huge thank you to San Diego Magazine for hosting such a spectacular celebration. Thank you for championing local small businesses like ours.

We’re already counting down the days until next year’s party—see you all in 2027!

Missed us at the event? You can shop our full lineup—including our signature San Diego Sauce and Ilona’s favorite Indian Spice Sauce—directly on sdpeppercompany.com.