Nueske’s takes home gold for smoked beef

The results are in, and Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats has taken home a national award for its smoked beef.

The 2022 Specialty Foods Association’s gold sofi award went to Nueske’s for its excellence with its smoked beef in the jerky and meat snacks category.

“The Specialty Foods Association has different categories that people can enter food in from all around the world,” said Nueske’s President and CEO Tanya Nueske. “There are quite a few judges who go through, taste and judge packaging. It is a days-long, even weeks-long process.”

After the judging is complete, the Specialty Foods Association then hands out awards in gold, silver and bronze categories, Nueske said.

“It is pretty cool to be recognized for that, and I know it makes our team proud,” said Nueske.

Nueske said that she and the rest of her coworkers were ecstatic to win this award.

“There are different people who vote on this as well: It could be retailers; it could be chefs; it could be buyers,” said Nueske. “So to be recognized by them as the best in a category is huge. We are so proud of it.”

She said that the decision to enter the beef was made in part to showcase different products from Nueske’s, other than their already famous bacon.

“Our Chief Sales Operator Carl Rambo picked some of the things that he believed would have done well, because he wanted to showcase them as something different,” said Nueske. “We have a really good selection of smoked meats. He asked me and with this being one of my favorite products, I said yes.”

In her mind, Nueske said that if people see that they have won this award, they will be more inclined to try the beef as well as other products.

“There is nothing else like this beef,” said Nueske.

She said that the smoked beef can be eaten in wraps, on sandwiches, in salads or soups or even by itself on a charcuterie board. Nueske also walked through the process of how they make the beef.

“We cure the beef, and then it is put into a smokehouse,” said Nueske. “Our smoke masters have it in there for about two days. It is a very smokey product — it is not really dry, but not too wet, either. It is a perfect balance of smoke and flavor.”

While they have won awards in the past in addition to the smoked beef, Nueske said that they do not make products for the purpose of winning an award, rather the award may come along the way.

“We do not come out with a lot of new products per se,” said Nueske. “When we do have a new product, we enter it on occasion. In the past we have won on a new product, which was our beef sticks with cheddar cheese and jalapeno.”

No stranger to winning, Nueske said that the award statues alone are enough to garner more interest from people who may not know about their company.

“We will do the national restaurant show and bring the award — that intrigues people and they want to know how we got the award,” said Nueske. “That opens a wealth of opportunity for us. The award really helps to push the next step of people wanting to try and buy the product. People know that winning this award is pretty tough.”

lreimer@newmedia-wi.com