Founded in 2021 by Rob Silverman and Ben Jablonski, The Good Charcoal Company is a purpose-driven American grilling brand built around restoring Namibia’s overgrown grasslands. It turns invasive acacia into chemical-free charcoal for outdoor cooks, while its community program has helped provide more than 50,000 hot BBQ meals to people facing food insecurity across the United States.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
M1 DirectM1 Direct makes TruLite firestarters designed to get charcoal grills going quickly without the newspaper, lighter fluid and lingering odor. The company also sells rechargeable dual-arc plasma lighters, while its firestarters are chemical-free, odorless and made in New York.WEBSTER, NY
Que 42 BBQQue 42 BBQ makes sauces and rubs in Buffalo and Western New York, turning a shared love of backyard tailgates, long smokes, and hot-coal conversation into a local food brand. Its small-batch Carolina-inspired mustard sauce was ranked No. 6 in the world by the American Royal World Series in 2014, and the company builds its recipes around natural ingredients without fillers, high-fructose corn syrup, or preservatives. Que 42 also puts community at the center of its work, partnering with local producers and donating part of every Grills Mafia rub sale to a supported veterans’ charity.
Hot Sauce for HeatStarted five years ago by Philadelphia high-school student Lev Burstein, Hot Sauce for Heat makes bottled hot sauce with a social purpose: a portion of every sale helps pay winter heating bills for local residents who cannot afford heat. What began as sauce blended at home with his father and sold at farmers’ markets and street fairs has grown into a co-packed operation offering several pepper-based flavors.
Essential ProvisionsWoman-owned and American-made, Essential Provisions was founded by Robin Gentry McGee to create practical, nutrient-dense food for people who need dependable fuel away from a conventional kitchen. The company’s shelf-stable Field Fuel meals serve everyone from outdoor users to first responders, with its work shaped by functional medical and health experts.WILMINGTON, OH