Chef Sarah Germany Productions: Turning School Farm Produce Into Artisan Sauces That Heal, Nourish, and Uplift a Community

Super User Business

Chef Sarah Germany Productions (CSGP) is not your average food business. At the heart of this East Bay enterprise is a mission-driven commitment to reducing food waste, promoting health, and empowering communities—all through the creation of handcrafted hot sauces, marinades, jams, pickles, and barbeque sauces made from surplus school farm produce.

Chef Sarah Germany has been a culinary artist for over 35 years, but her journey as an entrepreneur began during a moment of crisis. Before the pandemic, she worked as a culinary trainer at Corners Café, a youth-run café at Youth Uprising in Oakland. There, she and her students prepared meals using fresh produce from Castlemont High School’s farm. But when COVID-19 hit, Corners Café shut down, Sarah lost her job, and Castlemont was left with more produce than it could use.

Out of necessity—and opportunity—Chef Sarah Germany Productions was born. What started as a response to an unexpected challenge has grown into a thriving regional business with national reach. Today, CSGP receives donated produce from Castlemont and three additional school farms across the Bay Area. This reclaimed food, once destined for compost or landfill, is now transformed into flavorful, long-lasting culinary delights.

Food With Purpose

CSGP’s goal is as bold as its flavor: to divert 3 million pounds of food waste from landfills by preserving and reimagining it into delicious, shelf-stable products. Each sauce or jar from Chef Sarah’s kitchen tells a story—of sustainability, creativity, and community care.

But for Sarah, it’s also personal. She lives with a paralyzed esophagus, a condition that makes digestion slow and painful. This has shaped how she cooks, especially when it comes to the healing properties of food. Her best-selling Lemon Ginger Blaze isn’t just a mild, tasty sauce for fish or chicken—it’s also her daily digestive tonic. “Many of our sauces,” she explains, “have medicinal benefits. They are good to you, good for you, and great for the planet.”

A Flavorful Future

In its three years of operation, CSGP has built a loyal following through Instagram and word-of-mouth. Customers keep coming back not just for the bold flavors, but for the values behind each bottle. The long-term vision for the business goes beyond food—it includes supporting land stewardship in East Oakland and creating culinary opportunities for local youth.

Though based in the Bay Area, the company ships nationwide, giving people all over the country a taste of what makes East Oakland special. CSGP stands out by crafting high-quality artisan products while making a real impact on the environment and the community.

The Chef Behind the Brand

Chef Sarah’s roots are in both education and the kitchen. Before teaching culinary arts, she was a writing composition instructor. Her approach to food shifted dramatically after witnessing the diet-related deaths of several loved ones. She began cooking with less fat and sugar, emphasizing clean ingredients and deep flavor. “I want to make food that people enjoy and come back for,” she says. “But I also want to build resources that support East Oakland’s self-sufficiency.”

She didn’t start this journey alone. Sarah credits her success to “my squad”—a trusted support system that helped her get the business off the ground, including the initial financing. Like many entrepreneurs, she’s had her share of lessons learned. Her biggest regret? “Every business owner has at least one,” she says with a knowing smile, though she chooses to focus on progress rather than setbacks.

Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple but wise: “Try not to rush into business. Get your ducks in a row first.”

The Name Says It All

When people hear Chef Sarah Germany Productions, she wants them to think: chef-driven sauces that are good to you, good for you, and great for the planet. Each product is packed with intention, combining flavor, health, and social impact into every drop, spread, and bite.

For Chef Sarah, business success isn’t about money or fame—it’s about making a difference. It’s about food that heals, work that uplifts, and creating a better, more sustainable future for the community she loves.

Follow Chef Sarah Germany Productions on Instagram to get a taste of what real food with real purpose looks like—and support a business that’s making big change one bottle at a time.