Yoyo Laos Sauce is making a significant leap onto the global stage. Originally produced in Yorkshire, UK, by Lao-British couple Frazer and Hatsadee “Yoyo” Rhodes, the sauce will now be manufactured in Laos thanks to a new partnership with Mai Savanh Laos, a local social enterprise.
It all began in 2020 when Yoyo served her homemade ginger chili sauce to friends during the Covid-19 pandemic. The response was overwhelmingly positive, she recalled.
“They dipped it non-stop with their sticky rice. They told me, ‘Yoyo, it’s so good. I can’t stop eating it,’” Yoyo said.
Inspired by their friends’ enthusiasm, Frazer saw the pandemic as an opportunity to launch a business. With supermarkets being one of the few places people could buy food, he proposed selling their sauce there.
“So we bought some bottles, made a really simple label, and started making the sauce. We took it to the market, and it all sold,” Frazer said, reflecting on how the couple began producing the sauce at home.
This initial success quickly led to further opportunities, allowing the Rhodes family to expand production to their own factory.
“Then we got into our first shop, then our first restaurant, and then we received our first international order. It just kept growing and growing. We developed more sauces and built a bigger range,” Frazer added.
Frazer emphasized that the sauce is made by hand by the couple and their team to ensure top-quality ingredients. They believe that this manual process, rather than using machines, achieves the best results.
Moving to Laos and Partnering with Local Businesses
As their business grew, the Rhodes family realized they needed to scale up production. They sought out manufacturers in the UK willing to hand-make the Lao-style sauce but found this effort futile.
Their luck changed when they visited Yoyo’s home country of Laos in January this year. In Laos, Frazer discovered a small bottle of sauce with a design similar to their own, sparking the idea of shifting production to Laos, where ingredients are “fresher.”
Noticing the label “Produced by Mai Savanh Laos,” he emailed them as Yoyo Laos Sauce from the UK to express interest. Frazer quickly met Schmidt Philippe, CEO of Mai Savanh Laos, who offered to help expand their brand, aligning with their mutual goal of promoting Lao products.
By November, the Rhodes family plans to ship 35,000 bottles back to the UK. The enhanced production process in Laos has also created jobs for locals. There are currently three production sites in Laos—Vientiane, Bolaven, and Sekong—employing 51 workers, including 61 percent women and 43 percent ethnic minorities, many of whom have been marginalized in Laos.
During their time in Laos, Yoyo Laos Sauce also partnered with The Mines Advisory Group (MAG), a UK-based charity, where they also donated their sauce.
“The production costs here are lower than in the UK, which means we can offer a better price to retailers, who can then make a better margin,” Frazer explained. “Now we’re starting to get interest from other places, like the Middle East, Dubai, and Japan.”
Some of their products are already available in Vientiane, and they plan to expand distribution to more shops nationwide starting in September.
Despite the progress, the transition has not been without challenges. Yoyo noted that achieving the same taste as the original UK recipe required numerous adjustments. “The team has done about 30 or 40 different tests. It’s taken many attempts, with slight changes each time,” she said.
Raising Awareness of Laos
In addition to business growth, the Rhodes family aims to increase awareness of Laos. “A lot of customers in the UK ask us, ‘What is Laos? Where is Laos?’” Yoyo said. To address this, the sauce labels include a QR code linking to information about Laos.
The family is also conducting research with locals to gather more information about the country. “We’d like to get some interviews with the staff and learn about their history and background,” Frazer added.
Yoyo Laos Sauce can be used as a dipping sauce, marinade, or added to stir-fries and salads to spice things up. As they say in Laos, “Sap lai lai,” which means very tasty.
The sauce’s popularity soared after winning Great Taste™ awards in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, along with the winner of the UK National Chilli Awards in 2022.
“Some of the awards we’ve won have all been blind taste tests. The judges don’t see any packaging; they just get a little pot, taste it, and judge. Winning the UK National Chilli Awards, ranking 18th globally, getting an award for the European Hot Sauce Awards, and the Great Taste Awards—it’s all a big honor,” Frazer said.
