We hope our food inspires you to care about
where food comes from and how it is produced.”
Growing up in California
In the heart of California, Mexican food is integral to the community and traditional salsa is a staple in the local diet, the perfect complement to every meal. Embracing my Mexican-American heritage and my love for traditional Mexican food, I started making my own version in my hometown of Sacramento many years ago.
Bringing a little taste of California to Melbourne
I met my Australian wife Mary in 2001. She was working in California at the time, and happened to move in next door to me in midtown Sacramento! We got married in 2005, and decided to make the big move from California to Melbourne in 2006. We timed our return to surprise my mom-in-law on the day of her special 60th birthday!
It didn’t take long for us to realise that traditional fresh salsa was one thing we dearly missed seeing at the local store. We thought about bringing a little taste of California to Melbourne. It was a hobby in the early days. We registered my mother-in-law’s kitchen with the local council, started making fresh salsas on a small scale, and sold them at a local farmer’s market.
From humble beginnings, we turned our hobby into Richie’s Cal-Mex Foods. A family run business, with a mission to bring a taste of Mexican American food to Melbourne. Home-cooked Mexican food, that was a staple where I grew up in California. Richie’s Salsa Kitchen now lives in a brick loft in the back of our home. A full commercial kitchen inside, this is where we produce the full range of Richie’s Cal-Mex Foods. Fresh and jarred salsas, regular and gluten-free burritos, tamales and enchiladas.
Our family’s taste of California embraces my Mexican-American heritage and is always handmade with simple, recognisable ingredients. We source the best quality local ingredients and cook everything in small batches to maintain quality.
In the tradition of my family’s humble recipes, every product is cooked from scratch to bring you real food that is full of flavour, tastes better, is healthy and hopefully brings a smile to your face!