Winnipeg Old Country Sausage

Their Amazing Story: 

The story of Winnipeg Old Country Sausage is a riveting chapter in the city's history, written in smoke, salt, and unwavering principle. It began in 1912 as Manitoba Sausage, a family-run institution. In 1978, after 41 years of service, master product manager Louis Werner was fired for arguing to preserve the original recipes and methods. Rather than retire, he channeled a lifetime of expertise into defiance. With two salesmen and seventeen loyal former colleagues, he built a new plant just one street over, reopening in 1979 as Winnipeg Old Country Sausage. In a poetic turn, he bought out his former, faltering employer just a few years later.

Today, run by Louis's daughter and her family, the business remains a fortress of tradition. They have navigated a devastating fire and industry upheavals, investing millions in modern food safety (HACCP approval, an in-house bio-lab) while fiercely protecting the original recipes and natural smoke process that define their taste. This is a company where "if it isn't broke, don't fix it" is a creed, not a cliché.

More than a meat processor, Winnipeg Old Country Sausage is a guardian of local heritage. From their wieners and pepperoni to new innovations like Filipino longanisa, they supply the city's families, restaurants, and major grocers. To choose their product is to taste a legacy of resilience, to support a multigenerational family business, and to savour a piece of Winnipeg history that was almost lost but fought valiantly to survive and thrive.