Singing Pig Food Co., an Elk Grove specialty food company, recently hit the big time when one of its products made an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show! Their very popular Wine Garlic Mustard went before Oprah on her May 27^th show. Oprah tasted it, did a celebratory dance when the garlic hit her taste buds, and exclaimed "I like that!" Mark Brtek, 31, co-owner of Singing Pig Food Co. with his wife, Tara, 32, said it was by far "the most rewarding" moment in the company’s more than three year history. "Is there anything better for a company than to get a product on the Oprah show and have Oprah say good things about it?" he asked. Tara added, "The Wine Garlic mustard has become our number one seller in the weeks since its appearance on the Oprah show. Everyone wants the mustard that Oprah tried, and we are having a difficult time keeping it in stock!"

Singing Pig Food Co. is a home-based business started by the Brtek's after they quit their jobs to pursue a more satisfying lifestyle. "We both had degrees and impressive job titles, but what we didn’t have was the quality of life that we were looking for," stated Tara. The company has over twenty gourmet food products, ranging from salsas, marinades, dip mixes, and their former number one seller, Pumpkin Pie Butter. All the recipes are their own, and the couple has the products made at a licensed food facility. The Brtek's sell through the Internet, mail order, and by attending various festivals in California, Nevada, and Arizona. They will be seen next at the Courtland Pear Fair on July 25, and they will also have a booth in Pleasanton at the Country Folk Art Show on August 6, 7, & 8. In fact, the couple spends most weekends on the road, setting up booths and sampling their products. "It’s created quite a nice lifestyle for us. We’ve never been happier," said Tara, who is expecting the couple’s first child this month.

Of course, the question they are most often asked is where did the name ‘Singing Pig Food Co.’ originate? "When I was only three years old," explained Tara, " my parents told me I could be anything I wanted to be when I grew up. I think they meant I could be a doctor, a fireman, a teacher…basically, any profession I was interested in. But, I thought they meant I could literally be ANYTHING I wanted to be, so I said that I wanted to be a ‘singing pig’ when I grew up." Thirty years later, she is still teased for her innocent comment, but the laughter has waned since she and her husband have turned her childhood ambition into a thriving business. "It just goes to show that sometimes you get what you wish for," Tara concluded.

The Singing Pig mustard’s journey to the Oprah show is an interesting story in itself. The Brtek's explained that their mustard is currently on display and being sold through the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum, located in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. Barry Levenson, the Museum curator, was once a lawyer who had a fondness for mustard. After years of collecting various mustards, he decided to give up his law career and open a museum to honor his favorite condiment. His mother asked him; "From this you will make a living?" Barry’s devotion to mustard has made him a very successful man and it has taken him to many places, from judging mustards at the Napa Mustard Festival, to his May appearance on the Oprah show when the day’s topic was "People who are passionate about what they do."