HMMI owners, Derek Hochstetler (right) and his parents Merlin and Elsie stand at the deli inside their store located at Six Span Bridge in Elkhart. The Hochstetlers enjoy working together to provide unique, quality meats and other food items to their customers. (Photo by Laurie Eads)
Hickory Meats & More, Inc. (HMMI) is a new business with some products unique to this area, at prices lower than one would expect. It is located at 54595 CR 17, Elkhart, which is near Six-Span Bridge, in the building which formerly housed Alley Oops Restaurant. The phone number is 584-3750.
The owners of HMMI are Derek Hochstetler and his parents, Merlin and Elsie Hochstetler. Their interesting website (hickorymeats.com) tells the story of the older Hochstetlers’ butcher shop in North Dakota, of Merlin’s recipes for smoked jerky and sausage, and of their migration to Indiana. The website also offers online purchasing of many of their products.
The word “hickory” in the business name comes from the fact that the owners use hickory chips in their three smokers, where they smoke many of their most popular meat products. (The firm has no relationship to the Hickory Farms chain stores.)
Since coming to Elkhart, Merlin has developed a new recipe for Polish sausage, which has already become a favorite at the store. During the recent holiday season, Derek relates, their hickory-smoked turkeys “flew out” so fast that they ran out several times.
The butcher case at Hickory Meats offers a wide array of steaks, roasts, hamburger, other fresh meat products, and even double-smoked bacon. The frozen food case contains buffalo meat, lamb, ducks, beef, and pork. Smoked salmon is a recent popular addition.
Much of the floor space at HMMI is devoted to what Derek calls “bulk foods.” This term refers to items that are purchased in large containers, and then repackaged in plastic bags for resale at affordable prices. Included here are many kinds of spices, soup mixes, instant puddings, coffee, cappuccino mixes, and baking products.
The baking section contains various kinds of flour and sugar, baking mixes, and baking ingredients. Derek says that the pizza dough is one of the most popular items in this section.
Hours at Hickory Meats & More are 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. The Hochstetlers invite you to stop in and sample their tasty and, in many cases, unusual products.
