Every June, Father's Day has a way of making you stop and reminisce.
My dad — Jess "Ben" Mellor — was a quiet man with a soft heart and a smile that could light up any room. He was a Nebraska rancher through and through. He raised cattle, rode horses, and lived a life built around wide-open spaces and hard honest work. He was not the kind of dad you would find grilling every weekend. But when there was a family gathering, or a backyard full of friends, he became the master of the grill — laughing, telling stories, and making sure everyone had enough to eat.
He carried his seasoning with him everywhere he went. Always ready to share it with whoever was around, and most times at no cost. He was teased more than once about giving away more than he ever sold. But he just smiled that quiet smile and kept right on doing it.
That generous spirit is exactly why Sandhill Ben's still exists today.
For him, it was never really about building a business. It was about sharing something he believed in with people he cared about. He had developed a dry rub over years of working with quality beef — seasoning that enhanced the meat rather than covered it. Something that let a good cut of beef taste exactly like what it was: the result of someone's care and hard work. Eventually, the people around him convinced him to put it in a bottle. And so he did.
My dad passed away in 2020. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him.
This Father's Day, I wanted to take a moment to introduce him to those of you who may not know the full story. He was a man who believed that good things were worth sharing — good beef, good seasoning, good company. He didn't chase the spotlight. He just quietly showed up, did things right, and handed out more than he ever kept for himself.
That is the philosophy that lives inside every jar of Sandhill Ben's Seasonings.
When you open a jar of our Original Blend, our Garlic Blend, or our Cajun Seasoning, you are getting a recipe that was born on a Nebraska ranch — crafted to enhance your meat, not smother it. Less salt than most competitors. Clean, simple ingredients. No MSG. Just the real thing, made the way my dad believed food should be made.
If you are looking for a Father's Day gift for the man in your life who loves to grill — or if you just want to try something made with a little more heart than you will find on a grocery store shelf — we would be honored to share a little piece of Ben with you.
Because that is all he ever wanted to do in the first place.
Every jar of Sandhill Ben's carries a little piece of the person he was and the ranch life he loved.
— Terri Mellor, daughter of Jess "Ben" Mellor, and keeper of his recipes