Sommers Sausage Shop: Our Story
Over 35 Years of experience providing quality service and products
Hello all. My name is Pat Sommers. I am the owner and operator of Sommers Sausage Shop and Wild Game Processing. I started cutting meat in 1982 in Lewandowski’s Meat Market in Grand Rapids, Michigan. During the time I was trained in the art of old world sausage making which is developed around the ideals of a slow curing processes, in order to create deep flavored sausages. Which is an art form that is lost in today's fast-paced processes.
Learning the discipline needed to successfully complete the old world sausage making process has allowed me to develop a palate to taste complex flavor profiles as well as have the ability to develop the quality flavors in my brand of sausage making.
During my time at Lewandowski’s, I also learned how to merchandise and sell a variety of products. I learned that customer service was key to connecting and serving our diverse clientele. Our customer service even extended to learn basic communication skills in another language.
I learned and used Polish to communicate with Polish customers who would only allow people who spoke Polish to wait on them and create their meat orders.
After several years of working at the market, I wanted to extend my meat and sausage making abilities; specifically to learn more about curing and brining hams. So, I transferred to a larger company with many skilled butchered for several years and honed my craft of making hams and bacon.
After five years of meat cutting and saugage-making I met my wife and was introduced the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I completely fell in love with this "new world" and all of it's natural beauty, rich heritage and tranquility.
I saw an opportunity to create my own business where I could bring everything I had been learning into fruition and share it with the people of the Upper Peninsula. So, in 1992, Sommers Sausage Shop became a reality. Now, years later …..Sommers Sausage Shop is thriving thanks to all of my wonderful customers, friends and supportive community.