Olson’s Meats smokes the competition

Olson’s Meats and Smokehouse just keeps piling up the honors and awards.

Olson’s Meats and Smokehouse just keeps piling up the honors and awards.

The Enumclaw business won national recognition at the American Cured Meat Championships in Reno, Nev., an event that annually draws hundreds of entries from throughout the United States. This year, there were 536 entries in 26 product categories.

Olson’s Meats took grand champion honors in the summer sausage class and was the second-place finisher in the cured specialty meat products class. Entries were judged on aroma, flavor, eye appeal, color and texture.

Olson’s Meats and Smokehouse, west of Enumclaw on state Route 164, is a member of the American Association of Meat Processors, the nation’s largest trade organization representing small businesses in the meat/food-related industry.