MONTICELLO - When you have been doing something for 25 years, it should be no surprise that you are good at it.
But Gempeler's Supermarket in Monticello did not expect to bring home two Reserve Grand Champion awards for its beef jerky and beef snack sticks from the Wisconsin Meat Product Competition, held during the 73rd annual convention of the Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors (WAMP) April 13-15 in Madison.
This was the second year Gempeler's entered its more popular summer sausage, ring bologna, bratwurst, wieners, pork links and pizza, many of which placed in the upper third or better of their categories in the competition.
But it was their restructured-type beef jerky and traditional snack sausages sticks, entered for the first time, that climbed to the top rankings in their categories. Gempeler's snack sticks went up against 45 other entries. Their beef jerky competed against 21 other entries in the restructured jerky category.
"I don't think we're going to change anything (in the recipes)," said Ken Gempeler, son of Ernie and Sharron Gempeler, who have owned and operated the full-service grocery store since 1972.
Ken Gempeler and employee Jeff Kempler hand produce, on site, all the sausages and jerky that are sold under Gempeler's Supermarket's own Alpine Boy brand.
The store has been making jerky and snack sticks for 25 years, and at one time they were available only to hunters who processed their deer at Gempeler's. The switch to making them from beef was simply an idea Ken had to try several years ago.
The WAMP competition is the largest of its kind in the United States. Sixty meat processing plants and meat markets from throughout the state entered 1,059 products in 36 categories, including summer sausage, bratwurst, ham, bacon and smoked poultry, illustrating the important role that sausage and processed meats play in Wisconsin's meat industry.
More than 40 judges, including food scientists, out-of-state meat processors and other food industry professionals, evaluated the products during the competition. Each product was scored on a scale of 1,000 total points for external appearance and eye appeal, internal appearance, aroma and taste.
Lake Geneva County Meats Inc. captured the grand champion prize for restructured jerky, and Olsons Woodville Meats took grand champion in the traditional snack sausage category.
But Gempeler's Supermarket in Monticello did not expect to bring home two Reserve Grand Champion awards for its beef jerky and beef snack sticks from the Wisconsin Meat Product Competition, held during the 73rd annual convention of the Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors (WAMP) April 13-15 in Madison.
This was the second year Gempeler's entered its more popular summer sausage, ring bologna, bratwurst, wieners, pork links and pizza, many of which placed in the upper third or better of their categories in the competition.
But it was their restructured-type beef jerky and traditional snack sausages sticks, entered for the first time, that climbed to the top rankings in their categories. Gempeler's snack sticks went up against 45 other entries. Their beef jerky competed against 21 other entries in the restructured jerky category.
"I don't think we're going to change anything (in the recipes)," said Ken Gempeler, son of Ernie and Sharron Gempeler, who have owned and operated the full-service grocery store since 1972.
Ken Gempeler and employee Jeff Kempler hand produce, on site, all the sausages and jerky that are sold under Gempeler's Supermarket's own Alpine Boy brand.
The store has been making jerky and snack sticks for 25 years, and at one time they were available only to hunters who processed their deer at Gempeler's. The switch to making them from beef was simply an idea Ken had to try several years ago.
The WAMP competition is the largest of its kind in the United States. Sixty meat processing plants and meat markets from throughout the state entered 1,059 products in 36 categories, including summer sausage, bratwurst, ham, bacon and smoked poultry, illustrating the important role that sausage and processed meats play in Wisconsin's meat industry.
More than 40 judges, including food scientists, out-of-state meat processors and other food industry professionals, evaluated the products during the competition. Each product was scored on a scale of 1,000 total points for external appearance and eye appeal, internal appearance, aroma and taste.
Lake Geneva County Meats Inc. captured the grand champion prize for restructured jerky, and Olsons Woodville Meats took grand champion in the traditional snack sausage category.