Brick House Vinaigrettes

With a long history in the hospitality industry, Chef Jeff Bricker’s venture into creating vinaigrettes grew from his years of training as a chef, owning restaurants and serving a public that increasingly seeks better nutrition.

“We only use the best heart healthy, non-GMO oils with no artificial ingredients,” Jeff says. “They are low-sodium, low-carb, gluten- and dairy-free, and full of great flavor, making them a vinaigrette with no regret.”

The Indiana Artisan makes four varieties of vinaigrettes: Classic Sweet Dijon, Creamy Garlic Herb, Sunny Honey Balsamic, and Raspberry Champagne.

Jeff worked in the hospitality industry for more than 30 years, including at his family’s Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant and operating his own catering business, featuring a seasonal menu with fresh ingredients. He sold his business in 2002 to join Ivy Tech Community College as a full-time faculty member and now serves as Department Chair of the school’s Hospitality Administration program in Indianapolis.

He credits a personal “health reality check” for making him a food label reader. At 35 pounds overweight, he launched a hunt for good nutrition.

“But I couldn’t find a truly healthy salad dressing,” he says. “Then I thought back to the dressings I had made, including Classic Herb Vinaigrette.”

His children and students enjoyed it so much, they urged him to bottle it. It sold successfully at farmers markets, so he decided to expand through other retailers.

“Chef Bricker’s Brick House Vinaigrettes are my own recipes and provide a more natural, healthy option to commercial salad dressings and marinades,” he says.

Jeff uses Hoosier Healthy Oil processed by the Boyer family farm in Converse, Ind., as well as their non-GMO canola oil for the Classic Sweet Dijon. A proud Hoosier and source-local proponent, Jeff also uses honey from Bastin Honey Farm in Knightstown, Ind.