Divinely Sweet, Sinfully Spicy: The Story of Holy Hot Honey

In this episode of The Pizza King Podcast, I sit down with Matthew Zeiss, better known online as @swedza, the creator of Holy Hot Honey. Matt shares his journey from growing up on Long Island to moving to Sweden, where he discovered a completely different pizza culture. One where kebab pizza reigns supreme and Friday night means tacos, not pizza.

We talk about his deep dive into making authentic New York–style pizza at home, how that passion led to experimenting with hot honey recipes, and why his version brings a savory depth that stands apart from anything else on the market. Matt walks us through the process of building his brand from scratch. From steeping peppers for a month to nailing the perfect label design, and his big vision for getting Holy Hot Honey onto shelves around the world.

Along the way, we also touch on Matt’s other passions: music, graphic design, and even his award-winning Elvis tribute performances. It’s a conversation about projects, creativity, and the hustle of turning a big idea into reality. Pizzeria operators, take note...you might just want to get your hands on a bottle of this “divinely sweet, sinfully spicy” honey for your shop.

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