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Born in Melbourne

Hot sauce lost the plot. Somewhere between the skulls and the Scoville bragging, flavour stopped being the point. Thousand Apologies is Melbourne hot sauce made the other way: native Australian ingredients, bold balanced heat, and bottles that earn their spot on the bench.

  • Blame the back injury

    Rita Kanji was a designer who wanted to be a chef. A back injury ended that plan, so the cooking went into bottles instead. The first batches came out of a rented Melbourne kitchen; the range now runs to six sauces and a shelf of awards. Still made here, still small batch, still proudly independent.

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  • The native ingredients are the point

    Finger Lime for citrus that pops. Davidson Plum for deep, tart fruit. Wattleseed for a roasty, almost-coffee edge. Most hot sauces have never met these flavours. It's exactly why ours don't taste like anyone else's.

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  • Start mild. You won't stay there

    Six sauces, from Finger Lime Jalapeno at the friendly end to Desert Lime Carolina at the far end. Not sure where you sit? The No Regrets set lines up five of them so you can find your level at the table. Shop all hot sauces, or check the heat guide first.

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  • The trophies (since you're reading anyway)

    Every sauce in the range has won an award, except the coffee one. It's new. Give it a season. The shelf so far: RAS and International Flave Awards wins in 2024, plus sustainability and packaging awards the same year. Melbourne Royal gold for Blood Lime Scorpion in 2025, with another sustainability win. Foodpreneurs Breakthrough Brand in 2026. Mostly, we're pleased people keep reordering.

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  • Stocked where you probably shop

    Around 50 independent stockists. Gourmet grocers, delis and providores, most of them here in Victoria. Or buy direct and we'll ship Australia-wide, carbon neutral with Sendle. Find your nearest on the stockists page.

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FAQs

  • In Melbourne, in small batches, from Australian produce. Same answer every market. We never get tired of giving it.

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  • Australian farms. The natives too: Finger Lime, Davidson Plum, Kakadu and Wattleseed are all grown here.

  • Gluten free and vegan, yes, every sauce. No animal products, no preservatives, no additives. We're not halal certified, but every ingredient is plant based.

  • Around 50 of them. Gourmet grocers, delis and providores, mostly across Melbourne and Victoria. The stockists page has them all. Want us in a store near you? Drop us a line at hey@thousandapologies.com and we'll have a word with them.

  • Most definitely, every Christmas, and they go fast but we try to stock as much as possible.

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