Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Meckley, Lynn, Nolechek, Benzschawel, Hawkey
----Source: Thorp Courier, (Thorp, Clark Co., WI) 4/25/2012
Nolechek Meats (Receives Honors – 2012)
Pictured above: The staff of Nolechek’s Meats with their awards. Back (l-r) Jennifer Meckley, Meg Lynn, Bill Nolechek, Kelly Nolechek, and Chad Nolechek. Front (l-r) Marie Benzschawel, Dee Nolechek, Kathy Benzschawel, and Leo Hawkey.
The exceptional quality of meat products produced by Nolechek’s Meats of Thorp – which in 2012, is celebrating their 60th anniversary -- was recognized at the 73rd annual convention of the Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors. At the Meat Product Show, held in conjunction with that meeting, Nolechek’s was named the Champion in the Flavored Bacon category with their apple cinnamon flavored bacon and the Reserve Champion in the skinless frankfurter/wieners category with their skinless wieners.
The Wisconsin Meat Product 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 individual products into 39 product categories this year, including summer sausage, bratwurst, ham, bacon, smoked poultry, and a variety of other types of meat products.
A number of judges, including food scientists, out-of-state processors, and other food industry professionals were required to effectively evaluate the many products during the product evaluation session. Individual products are scored for external appearance, aroma, and taste, using a scale of 1,000 points.
The size of this product show and the quality of its entries demonstrates the important role that sausage and processed meats play in Wisconsin’s meat industry and among consumers across the state.
