For Prairieville businessman Alvin Ray, LSU isn’t just the school where he took microbiology and thermal processing classes — it’s also home to the Ingram Hall small food incubator, where production for his fast-selling Best Bayou Pickles kicked off.
Ray entered the pickle-making business in 2012 when the idea for the spicy treat first came to him. He had no formal culinary experience or cooking lessons from his parents when he first attempted to create the best pickle. Every technique he knew was self-taught.
“Prior to my pickle-making, I was in maintenance full time,” Ray said. “I was a process operator for a plant, then a site and safety coordinator for that same plant, an electrician, a plumber — you name it.”
After Ray quit his day job to focus on pickles, he received the opportunity to bring his production to a larger scale through the LSU AgCenter Food Incubator.
“When LSU called, they said I may or may not make it,” Ray said. “I never intended this — I never expected it to go along right like this — but today, I’m having the time of my life.”
Director of the AgCenter incubator Gaye Sandoz said Ray was an overnight success, selling over 5,000 jars of his product per month.
Sandoz said there are two more incubators across the state, located in Norco and Alexandria. The AgCenter’s incubator, however, is the only one with three food science department staff members helping tenants and providing hands-on opportunities for them to work in the food industry.
LSU hired the scientists to work full-time in the incubator, along with one graduate assistant and two student workers, after receiving a three-year $2.5 million grant from the Louisiana Office of Community Development’s Disaster Recovery Unit in June, according to an AgCenter news release.
Ray, who was recently picked up by Associated Grocers, Inc., said the incubator is the best way to mass-produce food products — taking them out of the kitchen and launching them into the market.
“The incubator nurses us, just like an incubator, except we’re the chicks,” Ray said, giggling. “The people that do this help us grow.”
The incubator is the reason buyers can find Ray’s pickle variations in places like Matherne’s Supermarket, the Red Stick Farmer’s Market and the television show Cajun Livin’ & Cookin’.
“The sky is the limit with this thing,” Ray said.
Pickles aren’t the only food products created in the incubator. According to Sandoz, the other tenants make barbeque sauce, marinara sauce, gelato, juice, salad dressing, rehydrated popsicles, hummus, granola and pretzel crunch in the same 100-gallon kettle that Ray uses to create his pickles.
Ray said he hopes to add to the list of incubator food products in the near future, and he has plans for a relish line, followed by pickled jalapenos and garlic products.
“The goal is to give the public what they want, and this product is so versatile that I can do that,” Ray said. “I’m ready to go all over the place with this.”

Gallery • 7 Photos

Ari Ross

Alvin Ray, owner of Bayou Best Pickles, uses the incubator at the LSU Ag Center to brew his pickles.