After more than 30 years, small Erda smokehouse is more famous than ever

Thompson's Smokehouse is world famous for its beef jerky. It is shipped all over Utah, surrounding states and even as far away as Iraq. Now that the holiday season is just around the corner, orders for jerky and cooking wild game are increasing.

The family-owned business has grown remarkably over the last 30 years. Its location at the Erda Way and SR-36 intersection has marked a pivotal spot for the business to continue growing.

Julie Versteeg and her brother Robbie Thompson took over the business from their parents a year ago. They have seen business boom from the store's original roots to Thompson's Smokehouse as it is now.

The store was originally started in the 1970s in Stockton by Versteeg's grandparents, Bill and Vera Soffel, as a grocery store and meat market.

"People will remember it as Soffel's Meat Market," Versteeg said. "They would make jerky out of round steaks on Fridays."

Then Versteeg's parents, Merle and Ann Thompson, took over the store and moved it to the current Virg's location in 1985. In 1993, the building at 3975 N. Highway 36 was built and the business moved across the street.

The store stayed in the family as a meat market but once the jerky took off, so did the store, Versteeg said.

In addition to the Erda store, Thompson's Smokehouse has expanded to another location on Vine Street in Tooele, which primarily sells jerky, but also smoked turkeys during the holiday season. Another expansion of the business is online. Thompson's Smokehouse now sells their products through their Web site at www.thompsonssmokehouse.com.

Versteeg said they're even thinking of expanding the Erda store in order to accommodate more wild game processing. Smoked turkeys are most popular between Thanksgiving and New Year's, so Versteeg said it would be nice to have extra room during the holiday season.

"The building itself is getting so busy every year that last year we had to turn people away," she said. "We don't want to do that again."

The word has gotten out that Thompson's Smokehouse sells a good product and people stock up on enough jerky to last a couple of months.

"You would be surprised how many people will drive from far away to come here," Versteeg said. "People come from other states and some stop on their way to Wendover."

What sets Thompson's Smokehouse apart from other establishments is the way their jerky is prepared. Their jerky doesn't have any added preservatives and the moisture isn't taken out, which is why the jerky doesn't have a long shelf life, Versteeg said. Other stores may sell jerky that's been on the shelf for a year or more.

Thompson's Smokehouse sells six flavors of beef jerky, but also has turkey and buffalo jerky.

With hunting season and the upcoming holidays, this time of year is the busiest for Thompson's Smokehouse.

"During the holidays, we sell hundreds of smoked turkeys and custom smoking meats," Versteeg said. "The wild game season is very busy for us."

Even people from outside of Utah bring their game in to the Erda smokehouse.

Two hunters from out of state shot a deer in Montana and brought it to Thompson's Smokehouse to cook. Another hunter had game from Arizona, Versteeg said.

Already this year they have seen more than 400 wild game come through. To help with the additional meat requests, Versteeg and Thompson hire additional hands to assist in the process of making jerky and meat.

People can bring in their game already skinned or not. It is then hung in a cooler for a week until it's cut up into steaks, roasts or burgers. Most of the deer are turned into jerky or salami to smoke. They slice all the meats and do any necessary grinding. Once a deer is brought in, it takes 10 to 14 days for customers to get their product back, Thompson said.

"It's a lot of work this time of year, but it's worth it," he added.

In addition to jerky and wild game processing, Thompson's also sells a variety of sodas, candy and chips, which is why a lot of kids come through, Versteeg said.

Thompson enjoys working and owning the smokehouse because he gets to see all the different wild game that comes through. One of the strangest animals he has cut into meat was an ostrich.

"It was like cutting into rubber," he said.

Versteeg added they've had orders to make meat out of mountain goats, buffalo, wild boar, a bear and even a rattlesnake.

"We cook just about everything," she said.

However, one animal they won't cook is horse. Versteeg's mother received a call about someone requesting they cook her horse.

"'My horse just died, will you jerky it for us,'" Thompson remembered the customer saying.

Versteeg added, "My mom is a big horse person and refused to do it."

But just about any other animal can be cooked and cut at Thompson's or people can buy the already prepared jerky.

"Christmas time is crazy," Versteeg said. "All holidays are because jerky makes a great gift."

One customer comes in every year and buys jerky for all of his grandchildren, she added.

Thompson's Smokehouse jerky is so popular that people have even sent it to Iraq. Recently, Versteeg received an e-mail from a soldier in Iraq thanking her and telling her how wonderful the jerky was.

Customers can order their jerky online, but for information on cooking and cutting wild game, it's best to call the store directly at 882-0215. The Erda store is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Tooele store is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

missy@tooeletranscript.com