“He worked his butt off ….
“He worked his butt off and built this great business. It’s my turn to carry on that legacy. I couldn’t do it without all of our great customers,” he said.
Thiel said Grandpas Meat Market does both USDA Inspected and custom processing of beef and hogs and retail sales. He explained that for the retail sales business he will sell as he butchers animals and then will wait to butcher another animal until that one is sold, this way he guarantees having the freshest meats for his customers.
He said in his processing and the cuts of meats he offers, they are aligned with the “Nose to Tail” movement that seeks to use as much of the animal as possible. In the process he said he helps introduce the local community to different cuts and flavors from regions and ethnicities around the world.
He explains that he could order other meat in to keep his cases full at all times, but said this would go against his commitment to offering only high quality, locally produced meats to his customers.
“We aren’t your ordinary meat counter with basic cuts. We are a whole animal retailer,” Thiel said. The down side to this is they don’t always have what the community wants.
“We try to keep a full stock of cuts at all times but there’s a point where things need to go in the freezer. Also, our meat case is a constant rotation of meat. Once a product goes in the freezer we try to replace it with another one. Sometimes it’s something new and fun (like our Breakfast Beef Bacon), sometimes it’s something we make all the time (like Dried Beef),” he said.
Thiel also has package pricing for larger retail orders in 1/2, 1/4 and smaller sizes to a 10 pound box of assorted cuts and suggests calling ahead to schedule having those done.
One area that Thiel is seeing large demand for is in custom processing of livestock for area farmers. He said the schedule for these services is filling up rapidly and are booking out months in advance. Those interested in this service should contact Thiel at 715-748-3885 to get on the schedule.
Thiel is a proud Navy Veteran and is supportive of other area veterans and Veteran owned businesses offering products produced by veterans including: Burn Pit BBQ seasonings which are produced by Marine veterans in Hudson, Fire & Knife BBQ Sauce produced by Navy Veterans in Lake Mills and Frag Out Flavor spices produced by an Army Veteran in Arvada, Col.
Just as Thiel has many childhood memories of helping his grandfather, his own children also help out at the shop. His son, Ayden, age 6, and daughter, Maria Rose, age 4 are regulars in the store.
Grandpas Meat Market is located just south of Medford at W5685 Gravel Road. Turn West on Gravel Road by P& E Steakhouse, about a half mile down, past the railroad tracks.
BRIAN WILSON/THE STAR NEWS
