The spicy culinary mad scientists of Orange Beach are cooking up something new.

Jonathan Kastner and Tyler Braun have been fermenting up a peppery storm in a storefront at The Wharf for two years. Their business, Southern Chili Lab, produces a flavorful line of fermented hot sauces and chili crisp, but the duo has had a new addition to the business simmering, and Gulf Coast Media is the first to have the details.

The name of the business will stay Southern Chili Lab (SCL), and they will add cooking classes and chef's table dinners to the offerings.

"We are going to expand what SCL is," Kastner said. "We are going to be Southern Chili Lab fermentation, teaching kitchen and chef's table."

Southern Chili Lab's first two products on the market: a fermented hot sauce and chili crisp. The products are available at retailers around Baldwin …

The Alabama Gulf Coast has many high-quality restaurants and culinary producers but few options for cooking classes for adults. For the past five years (give or take a few), Kastner has taught children to cook at Expect Excellence Culinary Summer Camp, Expect Excellence After School Program and Gulf Shore High School. He has a way of explaining and teaching complex and simple culinary skills in an engaging way. Over the years, he has heard the parents ask repeatedly when adult classes would be offered.

"We are going to do cooking classes for adults and families. We will do different series and individual stuff that would be great for date night or whole families on vacation," Kastner said standing in the new space. "Whole families can come in and cook together and then take the food home with them. So, it will be really fun for the locals and people that are visiting."

When the lease on the SCL space was coming up, Kastner learned of a vacant space at The Wharf that was already set up with a demonstration kitchen. The space is large enough for the hot sauce production and a large table that can seat up to 20.

The vision is to offer cooking classes for all ages covering a range of topics (that are still in the works) from knife skills to fermenting. On the chef's table dinner side of things, guests could expect to see dinners ranging from family style to high-end luxury dinners.

While Kastner imagines he will focus a great deal of his energy on the classes, Braun will be able to flex his culinary skills with the chef's dinners. Both have an extensive culinary background, but Braun has spent a lot of time working in James Beard Award-winning and Michelin Star kitchens. Before the pandemic forced him to leave Denmark, Braun had landed his dream position at Alouette in Copenhagen.

As Kastner walked through his new space, he said he wants this to become a place for the community.

"There are so many people in the community that have different skill sets that we can bring in to teach everything culinary related," he said.

Kastner listed names of local culinary folks he has reached out to already and those on his list to contact. He and Braun also have connections in the culinary world outside of the Alabama Gulf Coast whom they would love to have visit. The possibilities are endless.

When asked if he ever imagined he would end up teaching, Kastner was quick to say no. He said the years of teaching with Expect Excellence and now high school students have put him in this season of life.

Lillian Cattle Company came to explain the difference between grass-fed and grain-fed beef and made sliders with Expect Excellence Culinary Camp …

"I hate to use this term because it just sounds cliché and corny, but I feel like it is my calling to teach. I love teaching, and it brings me so much joy," he said. "Not that I don't love making hot sauce — I love it — but it is so much different. Being able to provide that for families — I already do for the kids now — but I can't tell you how many parents of the kids are like 'When is it our turn?' Now it is. Now it is your turn!"

For all those who have missed Kastner's culinary creations, especially the ramen magic he would make in the winter at Anchor, you will soon be able to eat his food, sample Braun's culinary magic and learn all their secrets.

While an opening date has not been set, SCL will move into its new space May 1. It will take time to get the space set up and ready to host guests.

What types of culinary classes would you like to take? What culinary skills would you like to refine or learn? Email melanie@gulfcoastmedia.com and we will share your answers with Kastner and Braun.

To learn more about Southern Chili Labs products, visit www.southernchililab.com.