Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman test out Montrealer's hot sauce on Hot Ones

A Montreal hot sauce producer is elated after watching two of Hollywood's biggest stars sample his sauce on a prominent YouTube show.

Mark Cregan, owner of Mark's Hot Sauce in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, saw his fermented kimchi recipe featured on Hot Ones, a YouTube show where guests try different hot sauce recipes.

It wasn't just any Hot Ones episode. The July 25 edition featured Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, promoting Deadpool & Wolverine, directed by Montreal's Shawn Levy.

The A-listers wiped away tears and struggled to speak as they bit into the chicken wings doused in Cregan's sauce on the popular show. The episode has garnered more than 16 million views so far.

Cregan says he found out around Christmas time that his sauce would be featured on the show.

"It was a mix between excitement, and nervousness, and 'Can I pull this off?'" Cregan said. "It's just kind of the nerves of, you want it to be perfect, and you hope they're going to enjoy it on the show."

He said the idea for the sauce came to him when he received liquid kimchi in his salad dressing while eating at a Montreal restaurant.

Hot Ones initially ordered between 20,000 and 30,000 bottles of the sauce, which he says is the largest order he has ever seen. The show is affiliated with the New York City hot sauce store Heatonist, which ships the show's recipes worldwide.

The show has placed smaller orders since then and bought over 50,000 bottles overall.

It was Cregan's second sauce featured on the popular show, with his Barbados hot sauce appearing in 2020. He said that showing saved him during a time of particular hardship for small businesses.

But this was his first time producing his sauce in such a large volume.

"You just have to plan it, be organized, and you really have to make sure everything goes smoothly," he said. "Once those orders start shipping out, it's a great feeling."

Cregan usually sells his products to stores and restaurants in Montreal. Even post-pandemic, he said it has been difficult to move his products while many are cutting back on extra expenses. He's grateful for the financial boost provided by the extra visibility and large orders.

"It's not the easiest landscape for small businesses right now," he said. He says he has been able to pay off essentially all of the company's debt, and he hopes to reinvest in the business and ensure a more stable future. "I have a lot of friends that are also entrepreneurs, and it has been tough the past couple of years, so it's a really nice boost. It's a big weight off my shoulders."

Cregan usually sells roughly 25,000 total bottles of hot sauce per year, but he thinks he will have to double or even triple his production to meet the demand.

Being featured on Hot Ones could also open up distribution opportunities with large retailers, which Cregan hopes to pursue. Cregan's first goal is to increase his distribution across Canada.

"We're excited to see where this is going to take us," he said.