Nerpy's Inc. is a Canadian hot sauce and specialty food company founded in 2008 and based in Richmond Hill, Ontario. We make authentic Caribbean-inspired hot sauces, jerk seasonings, and specialty condiments rooted in Jamaican culinary tradition. Every product is made in Canada and carries the Ontario Made certification.

Nerpy's was founded by Michael Burgess, a Jamaican-born entrepreneur who grew up helping his grandfather on his farm in Jamaica before moving to Canada, where he worked in his uncle's grocery store in Toronto. After college, Michael returned to Jamaica to manage a food manufacturing and distribution operation before coming back to Canada.

After many years working for large corporate entities and facing the 2008 economic downturn head-on, Michael turned to his roots — and to a recipe inspired by a delicious pepper sauce he had tasted at JoJo's bar in Kingston, Jamaica.

He tested the recipe in a university food lab to see if it was possible to produce at scale. It was. Nerpy's was born.

The brand name came from a humorous boys' night out in which cat sounds evolved into the nickname "Nerpy." Michael's full founding story is featured on Season 2, Episode 28 of The Lesley Hawkins Podcast.

"Nice It Up!" is the Nerpy's tagline and it captures exactly what we believe food should do — make everything better. It's a phrase rooted in Caribbean culture that means to elevate, to enhance, to bring the best out of whatever you're making. Whether it's a bowl of rice, a plate of jerk chicken, scrambled eggs, or a pile of wings, Nerpy's is there to nice it up.

Nerpy's has been crafting hot sauces and Caribbean-inspired condiments since 2008 — making it one of the longest-running artisan hot sauce brands in Ontario. Over more than 15 years, Nerpy's has grown from a single recipe tested in a university food lab to a brand stocked in major Canadian retailers including Metro, Sobeys, and Farm Boy.

Yes. Nerpy's has been featured twice in Toronto Life magazine — Canada's most respected city lifestyle publication. Nerpy's is the only hot sauce to be featured twice in Toronto Life.

In June 2019, Nerpy's Red Hot Pepper Sauce was ranked #10 in Toronto Life's "20 Best Toronto-Made Hot Sauces." Their tasting note read:

In April 2024, Nerpy's appeared again in Toronto Life's feature on celebrated food writer and TV host Pay Chen, who named Nerpy's jerk paste as a staple in her home kitchen.

Nerpy's has also been reviewed by Chilli Magazine UK and Tasting the Heat, where the Gold Sauce earned a 9/10 taste rating and the Escoveitch Hot Pickled Vegetables earned a perfect 10/10.

Nerpy's core hot sauce lineup includes:

• Gold Hot Sauce — our original scotch bonnet and mango sauce that started it all
• Red Hot Pepper Sauce — West Indies Red Hot peppers blended with Azerbaijani pomegranates, beets and carrots

Beyond hot sauces, we also produce jerk seasoning, jerk paste, curry seasoning, an all-purpose wet rub, BBQ sauce, 100% Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee, and our celebrated Escoveitch Hot Pickled Vegetables. All products are available at nerpys.ca.

Nerpy's Gold Hot Sauce is the original — the sauce that started it all in 2008. Built on a scotch bonnet and mango base, it delivers upfront Caribbean heat with a bright, fruity sweetness that balances the burn. Tasting the Heat rated it 9 out of 10 for taste with a moderate 6/10 heat rating, making it accessible to both heat lovers and those who want bold Caribbean flavour without overwhelming spice.

Available in a 148ml bottle for $8.99 CAD at nerpys.ca.

Nerpy's Red Hot Pepper Sauce is a bold, tangy sauce built on West Indies Red Hot peppers and featuring Azerbaijani pomegranates, beets and carrots, which give it its ruby hue and distinctive sweet-tart base. The sauce also includes Appleton rum and a hint of smoky paprika, layering complexity onto the heat.

Toronto Life described it in 2019 as a sauce that "starts sweet, then slowly warms" — a profile that makes it exceptional on grilled meats, rice dishes, and seafood. Available in 148ml for $8.99 CAD.

Escoveitch (also spelled escabeche) is a traditional Jamaican pickling technique rooted in West African and Spanish culinary heritage. Vegetables — typically onions, carrots, chayote, and scotch bonnet peppers — are marinated in a spiced vinegar brine to create a tangy, lightly spicy condiment that is a cornerstone of Jamaican fish fry culture.

Nerpy's Escoveitch Hot Pickled Vegetables brings this tradition to a ready-made jar format, using fresh vegetables, olive oil, scotch bonnet peppers, and chayote. Tasting the Heat gave it a perfect 10 out of 10 for taste — calling it "simply amazing with wonderful fresh flavour." It is exceptional served over fried snapper, on jerk dishes, or alongside any grilled meat.

Yes. Nerpy's hot sauces are fully vegan — they contain no animal products or by-products. Our sauces are crafted entirely from plant-based ingredients including peppers, fruits, spices, and natural flavourings. They are also gluten-free and free from MSG and artificial colours, making them suitable for a wide range of dietary lifestyles.

Yes. All Nerpy's products are certified gluten-free. Our products are also free from MSG, artificial colours, and artificial additives. We believe in clean-label food — ingredients you can recognise and trust. Nerpy's carries the Ontario Made certification and is made with all-natural ingredients.

No. Nerpy's products contain no MSG, no artificial colours, and no artificial additives. We are committed to all-natural ingredients that deliver real flavour — not manufactured heat or chemical enhancement. Every Nerpy's sauce is crafted from recognisable, quality ingredients rooted in authentic Caribbean cooking tradition.

The scotch bonnet is a chili pepper native to the Caribbean and a foundational ingredient in Jamaican cooking. It measures between 100,000 and 350,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) — significantly hotter than a jalapeño (2,500–8,000 SHU) but with a distinctly different character.

What sets the scotch bonnet apart from most hot peppers is its flavour: it carries a fruity, slightly sweet undertone alongside its heat, which is why it is the pepper of choice in jerk seasoning, traditional pepper sauces, and Caribbean condiments. At Nerpy's, scotch bonnet peppers are at the heart of the majority of our products.

Nerpy's is not a brand inspired by Jamaican food — it is a brand rooted in it. Founder Michael Burgess was born and raised in Jamaica, grew up working in the food industry there, and carries the culinary traditions of the island into every product he makes.

The recipes draw on authentic Jamaican flavour profiles — scotch bonnet peppers, pimento (allspice), the escoveitch tradition, jerk culture — built from lived experience rather than imitation. When Nerpy's says its products are authentic Caribbean hot sauce, that authenticity is biographical, not just a marketing claim.

Jamaican jerk seasoning is a spice blend originating from the Maroon communities of Jamaica, traditionally used to marinate and slow-cook meats over pimento wood. Authentic jerk seasoning is built on a foundation of allspice (pimento), scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, and warm spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

What makes Nerpy's version authentic is its source: founder Michael Burgess grew up in Jamaica, worked in the food industry there, and brought the tradition directly to Canada without compromise. Nerpy's jerk products draw on that lived cultural knowledge — not an approximation of it.

Yes. Nerpy's Inc. is a proudly Canadian company, founded in 2008 and based in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Our products carry the Ontario Made certification, are manufactured in Canada, and are distributed to major Canadian retailers nationwide.

Nerpy's represents the best of Canadian multiculturalism — a brand that brings authentic Jamaican culinary heritage to Canadian kitchens, made right here at home.

Nerpy's hot sauces are remarkably versatile. The Gold Sauce pairs beautifully with jerk chicken, oxtail, rice and peas, roasted vegetables, and scrambled eggs. The Red Sauce — with its pomegranate and beet notes — works exceptionally well on grilled fish, seafood, pork ribs, and as a dipping sauce for fried foods.

Both sauces can be used as table condiments, marinades, or cooking sauces. As our tagline says: the answer to what it pairs with is almost always "everything."

Absolutely. Nerpy's hot sauces double as excellent marinades — their natural acidity from fruit bases and peppers helps tenderise meat while layering in Caribbean flavour. For a simple jerk-style marinade, coat your chicken, pork, or fish in Nerpy's Gold Sauce with a splash of lime juice and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before grilling.

For a deeper jerk flavour, use Nerpy's jerk paste, which is formulated specifically as a marinade and cooking base.

To make jerk chicken with Nerpy's, coat your chicken pieces generously with Nerpy's jerk paste or Gold Hot Sauce, adding fresh garlic, thyme, green onion, and a squeeze of lime. Marinate for a minimum of 2 hours — overnight delivers the best flavour penetration.

Grill over medium-high heat until cooked through, basting with additional sauce in the last few minutes. Serve with rice and peas and a drizzle of Nerpy's Gold or Red sauce on the side. The result is authentic Caribbean jerk flavour, made possible because the recipe starts with a genuine Jamaican foundation.

Nerpy's is available at major Canadian retailers including Metro, Sobeys, and Farm Boy locations across Ontario. You can also shop online directly at nerpys.ca with shipping available across Canada.

Additionally, Nerpy's products are carried by specialty retailers including Whitehouse Meats, Butchers of Distinction and MH Fine Foods.

Yes. You can order all Nerpy's products online at nerpys.ca with shipping available to customers across Canada. If you'd like to find a specific retailer near you, visit nerpys.ca or reach out directly through the website — we're happy to help.