How Our Sous Vide Cooking Process Got Started
Hudson Meat Company started as a small meat shop in Columbus, Ohio. At first, owners Leslie and Sandra Hope tried to make ground beef and other fresh meats, but they encountered too much competition. After a series of early struggles, a great opportunity finally came their way. It involved serving rare roast beef—cooked and ready to go—at a local event.
Together Leslie and Sandra decided to season top rounds with salt and pepper, place them in a bag and vacuum seal the bag. Using a small kettle in the plant, they heated the water to 136 degrees and submerged the top rounds into the kettles until the meat reached an internal temperature of 132 degrees. They then drained the water and replaced it with cold water to chill the meat.
The men hand-delivered 500 pounds of the meat to the customer, and it was a tremendous success. The product was so well received that they decided to focus on cooked meats moving forward. Leslie, who happens to be the nephew of the late Bob Hope, had found his calling in life. It wasn’t show business, but it certainly matched his uncle’s work in terms of quality.
Company Leaders
Today, the second generation is now at the helm at Hudson Meat Company. Dan and Jeff Emmenegger have continued the sous vide tradition their parents established by maintaining the same commitment to superior quality and incredible taste.
Dan Emmenegger
Dan Emmenegger grew up with the business. By the age of 9 or 10, he started to accompany his mother to the plant and learned to help in the different processing rooms. During high school, Dan spent summers working in the plant. In 1995, just two months after graduating from The Ohio State University with a degree in business economics, he was back at Hudson. By then, his parents were ready for him to start operating the business.
When Dan took over, he immediately focused on growing sales while keeping a close watch on the inner workings of the plant. Today, he still believes in a hands-on approach to running the business, and he begins every day with a plant walk-through to ensure that everything is running smoothly.
Jeff Emmenegger
Jeff joined Hudson Meat Company in 2006, soon after earning an undergraduate degree in criminology from The Ohio State University and an MBA from Florida Metropolitan University. He spent the first year learning about the company’s products, process and operations. It didn’t take long for Jeff to discover his role in the company, and he soon took over the food safety side of the business. Jeff is responsible for leading the company to SQF Level 2 certification.
Ester Pickett and Gerald Bishop
The owners of the company believe in giving credit where it is due. In the case of Hudson Meat Company, they would be remiss not to mention Ester Pickett, office manager for the past 25 years, and Gerald Bishop, plant manager during that same time period. Hudson Meat Company would not be here today without the hard work and dedication of these individuals.