ALLEGRO MARINADE was formulated in 1955 by Dave and Betsy Wilcox. The couple did not have the money for expensive cuts of meat so they would cook in water Tired of their meats always tasting bland, they decided to spend time in the kitchen experimenting with natural ingredients until they came up with the perfect marinade to allow grill cooking.
In 1965 they moved to Paris, Tennessee. In 1972, after a career in another business, Dave opened a restaurant specializing in Italian foods and marinated steaks. This restaurant was where the public first tasted the Wilcox’s unique marinade. Soon, customers were requesting that bottles of the marinade be made available for sale, so Dave and Betsy started filling small bottles one by one, to sell to their customers in the restaurant. Due to the demand, they closed the restaurant in 1979 and focused on the production and retail sales of their family marinade.
Since then, ALLEGRO has become the market leader in marinades throughout the South, while helping to create an entirely new category in the grocery trade.
The product line has expanded to include five new marinades to the ALLEGRO Original formula. Included are Hickory Smoke, Hot & Spicy, Teriyaki, GAME TAME and Gold Buckle Brisket Sauce. ALLEGRO has also recently introduced the NEW ALLEGRO Flavor Injectors that consist of Mesquite for Beef and Butter Roasted Garlic for Poultry.
ALLEGRO decided to become kosher because of the growing demand for kosher pareve items. Since becoming certified by the OU, the marketing research has reflected these statistics. Getting certified was hard work. However, working closely with professionals, such as Rabbi Yitzchok Mincer (rabbinic coordinator), Rabbi Yehuda Boroosan (rabbinic field representative) and Ms. Civie Rosner (administrative assistant) made our process possible and easier. It was worth our efforts after all and our special thanks to them.
Noriyuki (Rick) Horiuchi
International Director of Marketing