The Ultimate Condiment Combo

Todd Somers ’73 helped direct Northwestern football’s offense as a quarterback for parts of three seasons in the early 1970s. Now, as a longtime Wildcats season ticket holder cheering from the stands, he’s created a new game-day condiment combo: MustKetch.

Standing in a long line for mustard and ketchup at a sporting event, Somers had a thought: “Why hasn’t anyone combined these two tasty condiments before?”

So Somers, former president of the N Club, and his wife, Ann Cooney Somers ’74, went into the kitchen, experimenting with proportions to create MustKetch, a proprietary recipe that mixes the two staple condiments with spices, seeds and other ingredients for added flavor.

Todd, who lives in Trout Valley, Ill., and his brother Scott Somers ’75 MBA, a Los Angeles–based entrepreneur, formed the company Somers Family Specialties to develop the brand. With help from his friend and fraternity brother Michael Sapienza ’74, ’76 MBA, Todd secured a connection with Chicago chef Charlie Baggs, who serves as the company’s chief innovation officer.

The non-GMO and preservative- and gluten-free condiments are manufactured in Melrose Park, Ill. MustKetch comes in three flavors — Original, Zesty and Smoke — and is available in grocery stores throughout the Chicago area and nationally on Amazon.

“It’s been both invigorating and fun,” Somers says of the MustKetch launch. “There’s nothing better than hearing people who have tried the product say that they really like it.”