Local Business Spotlight: Wheat Ridge Poultry and Meats

We love supporting local businesses by sharing about the services and products they offer as well as the stories of why the business got started. Today we are spotlighting Wheat Ridge Poultry and Meats which is just north of Edgewater at 5650 West 29th Avenue.

During this Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, it’s important to continue supporting our local businesses in wise ways.

Here’s our interview with Jessica Bobitsky from Wheat Ridge Poultry and Meats:

How did you get involved in this business?

My husband and I purchased Wheat Ridge Poultry from his uncle in 2014. Meat/Grocery stores have had a long history in our family with our first store being opened more than 40 years ago. My husband worked for the USDA and when his duties ended, we thought moving into the family business would be the best way for us to settle in the community.

What’s the history of Wheat Ridge Poultry and Meats?

Wheat Ridge Poultry & Meats actually started as Ridge Valley Poultry in 1942. At that time, only fresh chicken, turkey and eggs were sold. The location where our shop is located is the original location. The parking lot in our shopping center was the area where chickens and turkey were raised for fresh sales to customers. In the 1960’s the pasture was turned into a parking lot and another structure was built. That structure now houses Twisted Smoothie, Altitunes and West 29th Salon. As time has passed, we have added additional products like beef, pork, exotic meats and smoked sausages and jerky.

What services/products do you offer?

We are a full-service, custom cut butcher shop. We have a variety of fresh cuts of beef, pork and chicken in our case daily. We also feature other local companies such as Pierogies Factory, Little Man Ice Cream and Cream City Cheese Curds. We have recently expanded our seafood line to offer sustainable products at an affordable price. We work with independent farmers and ranchers to get the best possible products that are proudly processed in Colorado. We also offer raw pet food and wild game processing through our sister companies.

What makes your business unique?

• Our length of time in business for one. It’s rare to find small businesses that have been in the same location for more than 75 years. We still utilize as much of the original equipment that we can and still do everything we can by hand. We think offering handmade products keeps our family tradition alive and makes us stand out from others who use more and more machines.
• We are whole animal butchers, meaning we prefer to bring in whole animals from independent farms and ranches over bringing in boxed or frozen meats.
• We work with farms and ranches that have committed to no antibiotics, hormones or other additives as well as better diets and living conditions for the animals.
• Our farms and ranches have implemented procedures to make their product more sustainable while not ignoring quality. Each of the farms and ranches use a farm-to-table progression system meaning they care for the animal from birth/hatching until slaughter. This helps ensure that the animal’s needs are met and they are well cared for.
• Instead of throwing bones and scraps into landfills, we package them for donation to animal sanctuaries as well as the tigers at the Downtown Denver Aquarium.
• We offer a bag credit to customers who return with their own bag or use one of our reusable bags. That credit is then matched at the end of each quarter and donated to local schools or organizations in need. This quarter we are donating to Edgewater Elementary to help with students who are having a hard-time paying for their lunches.