Meet Cork’s 'Spice Boys' - the duo behind Tongue Tied Hot Sauce

FOR as long as they could remember, brothers Felix and Alex Castaldo always wanted to do something spicy.

The influences of their father, a humble immigrant from Naples, and of their Cork mother, played a part too - and now they have achieved their dream.

In June, Felix and Alex launched their new Tongue Tied Hot Sauce. As the name suggests, this is spicy food on stilts!

With three captivating flavours, ranging from mild to incendiary, their arsenal boasts not just taste but a rainbow of energetic hues.

Their ascent in the industry, particularly their mobbed stall at the Marina Market, has been rapid.

“We wanted to make a sauce that could be paired with everything and a sauce for everyone,” said Felix, the older of the brothers.

“So in June this year we came out to the Marina Market and sold our first few bottles of Tongue Tied Hot Sauce.

Now, we didn’t realise at the time that we would have such an impact on the hot sauce culture in Cork!

Alex chips in: “The idea of hot sauce, this thing of ours, stemmed from the very start, from my mind.

“I worked in a cheffing background, I was always playing around with recipes and I wanted to make three unbelievably cool hot sauces, with three vibrant colours, which I’ve created.

“My brother came along for this journey as well with his film background.”

Felix butts in: “I didn’t just come along, I financed the whole thing!

“I’m basically just a good older brother. And I said, ‘Here, Alex, I want your dreams to come true and I paid for the hot sauce venture’.”

This conversation is getting nice and spicy - all in jest of course!

Alex states: “Felix financed the whole thing, so that’s the other side of the coin. But I told him, I have this idea and I’ll take it to the stars man, if you just trust in me. Which he did. Trust in me.”

Behind the scenes lies a relentless pursuit of perfection by these brothers. Countless hours are spent meticulously fine-tuning recipes and infusing each batch with the right balance of flavours.

It’s a labour of love, extending beyond the confines of a commercial enterprise; it’s dedication to preserving tradition while embracing innovation.

I’ve tasted a lot of hot sauce in my day, but not like this, so what makes it so good?

“We cannot divulge the ingredients,” explains Felix. “Me and Alex took an oath with some of the red chili and orange sauce in our front room to never give away the ingredients.

“And we saw a pigeon in the window, a sign not to divulge any information about our recipe.”

It echoes the advice imparted by a friend of the family and godfather to both men, Mr Tony O’Murtagh, who counselled discretion. 

“It would be wise, guys, not to talk too much about how the magic happens,” he told then.

While Alex, AKA ‘The Chef’, was serving his time in kitchens, Felix - ‘Feelers’ - was in the filmmaking game.

“I studied film and media in St. Johns College way back, I’m a dinosaur, so this is back in 2010. I’m always making and writing films and taking photos.

A lot of people have to outsource their marketing to other people whereas I had all the tools from the get-go.

The duo’s online presence, a cornerstone of their brand, is a conduit to share not just the product but the essence of their vision - a gateway to experience the spirit and vibrancy that sets their sauces apart.

Looking at their Instagram account, the brothers have assembled a crew able to convey the charisma, excitement and humour of the Tongue Tied brand.

“People underestimate the importance of marketing and the image you’re putting out there to the consumer,” Felix stated.

“Like, we really wanted something that would stand out. Our label and our graphic is something that has gotten compliments and feedback.

Everyone loves our sauces, but at the same time, everyone gives feedback about our logo, about our labelling, about our name Tongue Tied.

“You’re bidding for people’s attention more than anything. Sharp labelling, sharp logo. I take full credit for that. The logo is a picture of Alex’s face I ran through Photoshop.”

Felix and Alex epitomise the entrepreneurial spirit - facing challenges head-on and carving a niche with their fiery offerings.

Their stall at the Marina Market isn’t just a business venture; it’s a hub of culinary passion.

Their ambitions loom large, hinting at a plan for a blind taste test - a subtle invitation, perhaps, to test the loyalty of their followers.

“We’re out to become the kings of the condiment game,” said Felix. “At the moment, there’s a gap in the market. We’ll make a big impact across Ireland, but first we have to consolidate the home turf.

“The Marina Market is our main hub,” said Alex, “but we also do one up in Limerick called the Wickham Way and online. We’re also at Ballymaloe Craft Fair, and possibly a marquee at the Christmas fair in Burr, County Offaly.”