About Us
Our Origin Story
At 53 years old, I decided it was time to walk away from my 14-year teaching career in Special Education and prioritize my own happiness and wellbeing. So I turned in my resignation and decided to embark on my next journey.
During this period of reflection, I realized it was time to build something that was meaningful — something that honored past generations of what my family has built and something that future generations of my family could benefit from. Growing up in Tanzania, East Africa, I watched my parents run our restaurants out of our home. All the dishes and condiments were cooked daily from scratch with recipes created from memory and made with available ingredients. This creative process would follow us to Springtown, Texas where we owned Cha Cha’s Indian Restaurant.
When I moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2006, I struggled to get the necessary spices for my mostly Indo-Persian and Mediterranean cooking. My mother used to bring them for me in her suitcase from Toronto, Canada! Finally, in desperation, I began to recreate the original spice recipes used in our restaurants. I adapted these recipes and created my own blends to fit my personal cooking needs. My family and friends are always requesting my recipes for Indian, Persian, and Mediterranean dishes.
I began poring through old recipes my mother (aka the “original” Saucy Brown Girl) and father had created back in their old restaurants. Then in 2021, I began working with my son to create blends that tasted like my own home cooking. That is how SaucyBrownGirl™ was born!
Our mission at SaucyBrownGirl is to bring the same feelings of home from our family’s kitchen into yours through high-quality, easy-to-use spices to entice seasoned and amateur cooks alike into the kitchen!
what makes our spices unique
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Our spice blends aren’t just made for our shop. They’re also what we use in our very own kitchens to create our favorite recipes for our own family!
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We work to find full-flavor, aromatic whole spices and blend them ourselves for the freshest spices.
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Nothing but pure, whole spices are included in SBG products, so you don’t have to worry about side effects or unwanted reactions from sneaky ingredients.
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That’s how each batch is so fresh!
The SBG Team
MEET Naaznin Deaton: FOUNDER & CEO OF SAUCYBROWNGIRL
Known as “Naaznin” or “Nina” to her friends, “Mom” to her (not-so-little) children, and “Spice Sorceress” to friends and strangers alike, she is a woman who wears many hats. She currently resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee with her husband and dog.
When she’s not creating new spice blends, you can find her working on one of her novels (likely about serial killers, murder, and all the things that go bump in the night).
ALI BALOUCHI
Chief Financial Officer
Ali, the youngest member of Naaznin’s family, analyses the company's financial and operational data to help direct our decision-making and identify opportunities for strategic growth within the company.
SHARI BALOUCHI
Marketing Consultant
Naaznin’s eldest, she is the genius behind our logo, website, and visual brand — and the go-to for all things marketing strategy so we can connect with our community online!
SUGRA KESHAVJEE
The “Original” Saucy Brown Girl
The inspiration behind our brand and Naaznin’s own mother (92-years young!) who keeps us grounded. Many of the spice blends we use were perfected by her first in her restaurants around the world. Without Sugra, there would be no SaucyBrownGirl!