‘Old Bay’ Spice Maker McCormick Says Rival ‘New Bae’ Is No Joke

Seafood junkies have been sprinkling Old Bay seasoning on their Chesapeake Bay crab since the 1930s, and the condiment has become a best-selling brand for Sparks, Maryland-based spice giant McCormick & Co. as well as a flavor enhancer in everything from sausages to popcorn to beer.

So, McCormick was not amused when an upstart spice maker, Primal Palate LLC, announced in October 2017 that it would start selling a seasoning blend called New Bae. In announcing the new product, Pittsburgh-based Primal admitted the name was “a terrible pun” intended to promote a “bay seasoning” using the texting-lingo shorthand for “Before Anyone Else.”