A THIRD-GENERATION FAMILY COMPANY
Bacon
Nueske’s family ancestors came to Wisconsin in 1882, bringing with them European skills of Applewood smoking and dozens of recipes for spicing and curing meat.
Neuske’s Bacon
In 1933, Grandpa R.C. Nueske couldn’t find smoked meats as good as those his family made. So, he decided to market his smoked bacon, ham, poultry, and sausage to friends, neighbors, and general stores around northern Wisconsin.
Grandpa was confident his meats would sell despite the crushing Depression taking place. People needed cheering up – something new and exciting to try – so he loaded his truck with his “fancy meats” and took to the road.
As he built his business, Grandpa taught his sons, Bob and Jim, how to select meats with the right combination of leanness and tenderness, the secrets of blending spices and curing, and every step critical for creating quality smoked meats. Just as important, Grandpa taught them how to create glowing embers of Applewood for perfect smoking and the Nueske’s signature smoked flavor.
Of course, over the past eight decades of producing premium-quality smoked meats, they’ve made many production improvements. Their plant is modern, well-equipped, employing custom-built smokehouses and state-of-the-art packaging equipment.
One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is their smoked meat recipes. They still import their spices and blend them by hand. They never use binders, fillers, or extenders – or add water to create artificial juiciness and additional weight.
They load their smokehouses carefully, grouping product according to weight and size. With the perfect blend of time and temperature, their meats are slowly smoked over glowing embers of sweet Applewood.
Instead of statistical random-sampling to estimate product quality, they assure perfection by inspecting their products continually throughout the production process, individually tasting every batch. Assembly line production is NOT the Nueske way. Stability, patience, purity – these are the values that continue to give Nueske’s bacon their award-winning, signature smoked flavor.
Nueske’s bacon is individually sliced in the store at Hazel Dean’s so that each customer can request the thickness they enjoy most.
HAZEL DEAN’S FAVORITES
Our Most Popular Products
Here are just a few of the items in our store that always seem to fly off the shelves. Do you have a favorite? We’d like to know what it is. And if you are searching for an item we don’t carry, let us know. We’ll do our best to get it for you.
Craft Beer
We stock a large selection of local and regional craft beers. Available in singles and in packs. You can even enjoy your beer in our store or on our patio.
Charcuterie Boards
Customized to-go charcuterie boards, filled with all your favorites, starting at just $20 per person. Add smoked fish for only $5 more per person. Delivery available.
Smoked Fish
Our smoked salmon and trout come from Alan Patak in Austell, Georgia. His parents opened the business in 1981, specializing in fine, European-style meats.
