Once in a while, I come across some young culinary entrepreneurs who seem to have that combination of passion, work ethic, smarts and, most importantly, a product that is worthy of their efforts, giving them the potential to explode and take their brand to a higher level.
Skyler Heyman and John Swafford of Sky’s The Limit Foods have all that and then some with their plant-based dressings, dips, sauces and spreads…all in one beautiful, multi-use product.
I’ve known John for a few years, including interviewing him on Lick the Plate radio as a guest while he was head chef at the Regal Seagull in Leucadia. Within the last year, I started noticing him at the Leucadia Farmers Market with his Sky’s The Limit Foods booth.
After sampling his delicious spreads and hearing about their passion and strategy for this endeavor, we decided to get together with his partner Skyler and record a Lick the Plate radio show and this Coast News feature. You can check out the radio show at www.lick-the-plate.com. They remind me a lot of the Bitchin Sauce folks in their early stages, whom I met at the Leucadia Farmers Market and went on to much bigger things.
John is a San Diego native, having grown up in Spring Valley to Filipino and Black parents who instilled a diverse culinary background in him and a passion for food at an early age.
Sports and skateboarding dominated his youth, then he caught the culinary bug and has cut his chops at places like the Crack Shack, Urban Plates, and now Regal Seagull, where he is whipping up some of the best hot sandwiches in town…and one of the best places around to watch your favorite game.
Ironically, Regal Seagull is a meat-centric joint, but John has always seen the value in a healthy diet, including plant-based foods, which in part led him to team up with Skyler.
Skyler Heyman (great name, by the way) was born and raised in New Jersey. He is one of many folks I’ve met who spent many summers on Long Beach Island. He was raised as a passionate Philly sports fan, a big part of what that city is known for. His earliest food memories were of cheese sandwiches, taco nights, and anything coming from his mom’s kitchen, who is also the creator of their delicious plant-based dressings and dips. Skyler’s first restaurant job was as a junior in high school.
Then, after graduating from High Point University in 2013, he moved across the country and found a job as a sous chef with Beaming in Del Mar. Beaming greatly influenced Skyler when he learned about the power of raw foods, juicing, and clean eating. I can attest to that, having been through a Beaming cleanse as part of a column and radio show feature.
After watching the documentary “Food Choices,” Skyler’s dive into the plant-based lifestyle took hold in 2017, quickly developing “A Plant Based Production” brand, podcast, and cooking show. Realizing that his mom was on to something with her formulas, Skyler teamed up with Chef John Swafford to create their food line, Sky’s The Limit Foods, featuring their tasty and unique dressings and dips.
The name was derived from Skyler, taking the sky portion of his name and the positive and uplifting tone that embodies their brand, “A Plant Based Production,” promoting the plant-based lifestyle. Skyler is also a Notorious B.I.G. fan who has a song called “Sky’s The Limit.” Well, there you go!
Besides their fabulous flavors and plant-based nature, some of their product differentiators include no added oils and pasteurization to extend shelf life without adding preservatives. The products are non-GMO or gluten-free, and they can be served hot or cold.
The flagship product is Simone’s Caesar, a cashew-based Caesar dressing and dip. You can use Simone’s Caesar as a spread on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise and add it to potatoes instead of sour cream. Their homemade peanut butter sauce, Sky’s Thai, is excellent on any noodle or rice dish and is the perfect dip for spring rolls!
Zesty Zion is based on sunflower seeds and mimics a chipotle-styled sauce, except they put no chipotle in it, substituting harissa and paprika with lemon and vinegar. The company’s Earl’s Everything onion jam is a fantastic spread for bread and goes great on any patty or sandwich and pairs with all cheeses.
I can attest to all these uses and more. I added it to my egg salad mix on a ham sandwich and an omelet for some extra flavor. I’ve not encountered a more versatile product in a while, which adds to its marketability.
Besides the Leucadia Farmers Market, find them at Seaside Market, Windmill Farms, Just Peachy, Nectarine Grove, Local Scoop, Thousand Petal Lotus, Little Italy Market, and Vegan Nectar, and you can order from their website at www.aplantbasedproduction.com. This is one of those products that belongs in every kitchen, and here is wishing them success in attaining that goal.
