Wheat Ridge Poultry and Meats is a locally family-owned and operated butcher and indoor market located off 29th and Depew. The history of the shop as well as the Bobitsky family is deeply rooted in the community. The Bobitskys are the third family to own the business since it opened 80 years ago.
Many items in the shop remain original to the building such as the coolers that once served as the fresh egg receptacles.
“The hens used to be in the attic and they would lay the eggs which would make their way down the tubing and down into the coolers that we still use,” Jessica explains. “You can see where those tubes used to be connected for those super fresh eggs.”
Not to say that the shop hasn’t kept up with the times. They recently opened up The Coop & Kitchen right next door and have launched another season of the Wednesday farmer’s markets.
“The Coop (named as such because it sits where the chicken coop once sat) is a secondary business for us that allows for local vendor goods such as honey, pickles, spices and more. 100 percent of the proceeds of those sales go to the vendors. We were able to offer space to vendors rent-free thanks to the Community First Grant.”
The Bobitskys are intent on keeping the values of the original owners in helping out local ranchers and distributors while serving the community.
“Quality foods at affordable prices is what we strive for. Not only do we cater to our customers, but we also partner with several local food banks where we donate thousands of pounds of ground beef every year.”
When asked what’s next for Wheat Ridge Poultry and Meats, Jessica replied: “We just need more space. What we are doing is growing so fast and the need for what we want to offer is bigger than our space. We are also excited for our recent investment in mobile equipment that enables us to get into the USDA market and what that means for us as well as the ranchers we partner with.”
“I love educating people on where food really comes from and about how we are doing our small part here on a local level to nurture changes around sustainability. We offer high-quality, fresh, locally sourced and ethically sound food products.”
