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Local sausage wins high award
Paradise Meat Locker's kielbasa wins Champion award at Wurstfest
By: Ashley Vasquez
For the owners of Paradise Meat Locker, one of their first times out of the gate for competitions went surprisingly well and earned the business top honors at one of the most prestigious events in the country.
Paradise Meat Locker recently attended a two-day celebration, Wurstfest in Hermann, where the owners entered several of their signature sausages for judging.
The event was March 24 and 25 and was sponsored by the Hermann Area Chamber of Commerce. The event brought local sausage makers, wineries, a brewery, restaurants and shops together. Visitors were invited sample and purchase delicacies such as bratwurst, Leberwurst, Schwartenmagen and Sommer sausages.
The statewide sausage-making contest was held at the Hermannhof Festhalle that Saturday. The Festhalle displayed antique sausage-making and winemaking equipment both days. A panel of both celebrity and expert judges were on hand to evaluate the numerous sausage entries.
At the event, the company's smoked kielbasa with pepper jack cheese and jalapenos won the Champion award from judges. Its traditional smoked kielbasa won fourth place at the event as well.
“This is the first time we have competed, and I couldn't believe we did so well,” said Louis Fantasma, plant manager. “We didn't expect to win anything, but they ate it up.”
The meat locker, which is owned by Theresa and Mario Fantasma and operated by their sons Louis and Nick, decided to start entering their locally famous sausages to expand their business name. They brought more than 1,200 pounds of product to the show and either sold or sampled out more than 700 pounds.
“We have been making the kielbasas for a long time but never showed them off before,” Theresa said. “We finally decided that we needed to put them in shows, and I still can't believe how well we did.”
The family also entered the Missouri Association of Meat Producers convention and meat show contest earlier this year where they earned a second place plaque for their pork chops.
The Fantasma family agreed that their quality and secret recipes from European family members have helped in their success.
“We strive on having satisfied customers each and every day,” Louis said. “We also use humane-raised and -handled meat. All of the animals are free-range and have good lifestyles. It makes a difference in the meat.”
Theresa said that the traditional butcher shop, which she calls a lost art, provide especially fresh meat as well.
“There aren't many small, local butcher shops open anymore,” she said. “Most people get their meat from large grocery stores where it just isn't as fresh. It is tough for us to compete in prices but we don't try to. We compete with quality and selection.”
The family said they plan to continue entering contests and providing quality meats and services to the area.
“We want to just keep it up,” said Nick, who is the plant-processing supervisor. “We are proud of what we offer and hope we can continue to grow and do good things.”
For more information about the company, which is based in Trimble, visit www.paradisemeats.com.
Smithville Editor Ashley Vasquez can be reached at 532-4444 or ashleyvasquez@npgco.com.
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Paradise Meat Locker recently attended a two-day celebration, Wurstfest in Hermann, where the owners entered several of their signature sausages for judging.
The event was March 24 and 25 and was sponsored by the Hermann Area Chamber of Commerce. The event brought local sausage makers, wineries, a brewery, restaurants and shops together. Visitors were invited sample and purchase delicacies such as bratwurst, Leberwurst, Schwartenmagen and Sommer sausages.
The statewide sausage-making contest was held at the Hermannhof Festhalle that Saturday. The Festhalle displayed antique sausage-making and winemaking equipment both days. A panel of both celebrity and expert judges were on hand to evaluate the numerous sausage entries.
At the event, the company's smoked kielbasa with pepper jack cheese and jalapenos won the Champion award from judges. Its traditional smoked kielbasa won fourth place at the event as well.
“This is the first time we have competed, and I couldn't believe we did so well,” said Louis Fantasma, plant manager. “We didn't expect to win anything, but they ate it up.”
The meat locker, which is owned by Theresa and Mario Fantasma and operated by their sons Louis and Nick, decided to start entering their locally famous sausages to expand their business name. They brought more than 1,200 pounds of product to the show and either sold or sampled out more than 700 pounds.
“We have been making the kielbasas for a long time but never showed them off before,” Theresa said. “We finally decided that we needed to put them in shows, and I still can't believe how well we did.”
The family also entered the Missouri Association of Meat Producers convention and meat show contest earlier this year where they earned a second place plaque for their pork chops.
The Fantasma family agreed that their quality and secret recipes from European family members have helped in their success.
“We strive on having satisfied customers each and every day,” Louis said. “We also use humane-raised and -handled meat. All of the animals are free-range and have good lifestyles. It makes a difference in the meat.”
Theresa said that the traditional butcher shop, which she calls a lost art, provide especially fresh meat as well.
“There aren't many small, local butcher shops open anymore,” she said. “Most people get their meat from large grocery stores where it just isn't as fresh. It is tough for us to compete in prices but we don't try to. We compete with quality and selection.”
The family said they plan to continue entering contests and providing quality meats and services to the area.
“We want to just keep it up,” said Nick, who is the plant-processing supervisor. “We are proud of what we offer and hope we can continue to grow and do good things.”
For more information about the company, which is based in Trimble, visit www.paradisemeats.com.
Smithville Editor Ashley Vasquez can be reached at 532-4444 or ashleyvasquez@npgco.com.