Photo courtesy of Mustard Girl All American Mustard
Jennifer Connor—also known as the Mustard Girl—ventured into the entrepreneurial world during her days at UW-Madison. She created the Bucky Badger Bell, a vibrant red cowbell for students to ring at Badger games. While in school, Connor fell in love with Rendall’s Gourmet Mustard and it became her go-to condiment for everything from brats to pretzels. A few years after college, in 2005, she learned that Rendall’s owner, David Rendall, was retiring and would cease production. Connor knew she had to act and tracked him down.
“I found him and said, ‘Mr. Rendall, the world cannot exist without your mustard. I’d love to buy your recipes and continue your mustard and spread your sunshine across America.’ He said no,” she recalls. Rendall was still unmoved after Connor explained her entrepreneurial experience with her cowbell business. “To my dismay, he said that art history and cowbells aren’t going to cut for the mustard industry.”
Connor told him she wasn’t taking no for an answer and that she’d return the following week. In the meantime, she sought some kind of sign. On a whim, she attended service at St. Leonard Church, in Laona, Wis. “I thought, ‘if the father says yellow during the sermon, I’d see it as my sign—because what are the odds of him saying ‘mustard?’” she says. “I sat in the back, and the Father got up and said, ‘there’s a time in life when we’re all in a little bit of doubt. I want you to always have faith in the mustard seed. If you have faith in the mustard seed, you will move mountains.’”
The divine sign left Connor verklempt, and she later called Rendall and told him the story. “I told him that I would put everything on the table to make this happen. I felt like it was my destiny. After a long silence, Mr. Rendall finally said, ‘Jenny, I don’t want to be struck down by lightening if I don’t sell you these recipes. It sounds like you have good guardian angels looking out for you.”
A Variety of Uses
Connor kept Rendall’s recipes the same, but “with a little bit of added Mustard Girl love.” She changed the name from Rendall’s to Mustard Girl All American Mustard because people began calling her the “mustard girl.” “I felt it was important to have a real-life icon associated with the brand,” she says. Connor chose to wear a dirndl, a traditional European dress similar to what her grandmothers wore.
The line of Mustard Girl flavors includes Stone Ground Deli; Zesty Horseradish; American Dijon; Sweet & Spicy Honey; and Sweet & Fancy Yellow. “There’s a flavor for every taste,” Connor says. “Some people like mustard hotter or sweeter, so the collection represents every variety.”
The stoneground deli mustard is made with two different kinds of whole-grain mustard seeds, with a hint of sweetness. Connor recommends it for meats like steaks, sandwiches or to give a kick to balsamic vinegar and olive oil salad dressing. The zesty horseradish pairs well with roasted red potatoes. The American Djion is a smoother Dijon made with real wine, with a strong, robust flavor. Connor says many taverns carry Mustard Girl’s Sweet & Spicy variety to use as a dipping sauce for cheese curds or even pizza. All five varieties can also be used as marinades.
All Mustard Girl mustards are made in Berlin, Wis. with no artificial preservatives. Each flavor has won awards over the years at the World-Wide Mustard Competition, held under the direction of the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wis. “I’m grateful to my fans and want to send them a squeeze of sunshine,” Connor enthuses. “Without them, I wouldn’t be here today.” Find Mustard Girl All American Mustard at Woodman’s, Outpost Natural Foods, Sendik’s, Festival Foods and Mars Cheese Castle.
For more information, visit mustardgirl.com.
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