AGHS Alumni Patrick Cleary (’97) started a seasoning company in March 2024. His business, Shakedown Seasoning, is located in Arroyo Grande (AG). 

“I’ve always enjoyed time in the kitchen, ever since I was a young kid,” Cleary said.

Cleary raised and processed pigs on his property with his brother-in-law to foster his interest in cooking sausages and creating flavors. However, because Cleary was going to run his business from his home, the processed distribution of meat wasn’t an option. He decided to stray away from sausages and landed on seasonings. 

Cleary’s love of cooking drove him to turn his passion into a business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Around that time, Cleary experimented with different recipes; anything from cordon bleu to Hawaiian pizza-inspired flavors. 

“I liked the flavors of the seasonings that were out there, but I felt like there was more you could do,” Cleary said. 

Unlike the conventional process of making seasoning from drying the herbs and spices, Cleary uses a freeze-drying technique to make his seasoning. By freeze-drying his spices, the cell structure stays mostly intact, resulting in saved flavor, aroma, and preserved nutrients.

Each seasoning has a noted shelf life of three to five years for consumers; loyal customers have reported keeping the seasoning fresh for longer. 

Cleary runs his business solo, all while working a full-time job teaching a special education class. In his classroom, Cleary has access to a kitchen, where he prepares meals incorporating his seasonings for his students. 

Cleary takes a lot of pride in working hard and trying something new. He hopes to influence his students, family, and friends with his work ethic. 

“It’s just me [making seasonings] and it is a lot; and I always make the joke that I just wish I had two of me,” Cleary said. 

Shakedown Seasoning is featured in meat markets and grocery stores across the country.  

With his product reaching more clientele, Cleary focused his attention on marketing. Most of the marketing is done by connecting with local customers face-to-face at events like fundraisers, local culinary events, and craft fairs. Cleary believes sharing his story helps push his product out to the community.

“One of the biggest ways that we get the word out is going to vending events… I will cook up chicken with the ingredients of my freeze-dried seasonings and serve them to people,” Cleary said. 

As the business grew, running it from the length of his own home presented some challenges. The freeze-drying process takes 36 hours to complete; production requires patience, planning, and long hours of monitoring supplies. 

He plans to expand his operations to a commercial-grade kitchen in his garage, add more freeze-drying units, and a commercial-grade fridge to store more ingredients.  

Cleary continues to pursue his passion through long hours and hands-on work to keep improving Shakedown Seasoning. He remains committed to growing his brand and sharing his creations with the community. If interested in trying some of Cleary’s creations, check out his products at shakedownseasoning.com.