Konopelski Kielbasa is brought back for a new generation

Patrick Konopelski has run his catering business in Berks County for decades, serving thousands of events. If you’ve attended weddings in the Reading area over the years, chances are you’ve eaten food from Konopelski Katering.

Despite his company’s reputation in the community, Konopelski sometimes received a phone call from someone who wanted to buy classic Konopelski Kielbasa.

“Because the catering business was called Konopelski, people called for kielbasas,” he said.

Of course, Patrick knows Konopelski Kielbasa very well as it was produced by his grandfather, then father and uncle, for decades in Reading. Louis Konopelski, a Polish immigrant, began making and selling Polish meat at a family-owned store on the corner of Seventh and Canal streets in 1920. The business eventually expanded to a larger grocery store on Willow Street, then to another on Cotton Street run by Francis, Patrick’s father. , and Joseph, Patrick’s uncle. Both stores have been closed for years.

The Konopelskis have built a loyal following. It is for this reason that Patrick decided to relaunch Konopelski meats and bring his premium smoked Polish Kielbasa to the markets for sale.

“Three years ago, I realized that because there was a demand, there had to be a need,” he said. “I ate kielbasa at the grocery store and at farmers’ markets and found how unique our taste was.”

Konopeski said most of the kielbasa sold in the market is finely ground like a hot dog. His family version is of course, which many consider to be a better texture, and is wood-smoked.

Recipe on paper

With the coronavirus pandemic having closed his restaurant business, Patrick was able to speed up the process. He found the family recipe that Louis brought back from Poland in 1903. It was handwritten on torn and stained paper. The next step was to find a co-packer to make the meat, and Konopelski teamed up with one he declined to name.

“It was like ‘Goldie Locks and the Three Bears’,” he said. “Some were too big or too small.

“I was lucky to find one that could do 100-pound batches and grow. I didn’t want to rush him to the market, I felt I had to get it right.

When the product was perfected, Konopelski introduced it to Gary Redner, executive vice president of Redner’s Markets Inc., based in Berks County. He already had a working relationship with the company, having organized events for the Redner family for years.

“We are very proud to partner with another local and family-owned business, such as Konopelskis,” said Redner. “We have had a relationship with the Konopelski family for over 20 years, so when Pat asked us to taste his product at a corporate event, where it received rave reviews, we were happy to bring it to the rest of Berks County. “

The kielbasa was stocked in 20 stores in August with a social media promotion that attracted a large number of kielbasa enthusiasts. It was eventually rolled out to all Redner’s stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware in November, and the company requested enough product to stock in its warehouses.

“It’s a big deal because space is at a premium,” Konopelski said. “I am fortunate to work with a family like the Redners. They can be nimble and try anything.

Expansion?

Besides Redner’s, kielbasa can be purchased locally at the Willow Glen Outdoor Market, Sinking Spring; Shady Maple Farmers Market, East Earl Township, Lancaster County; and Stoltzfus Amish Deli, Allentown. It can also be ordered online through Konopelski Meats website.

Konopelski said batches of kielbasa are made as needed.

“We started off with 400-pound batches and now we’re down to 800-pound batches every two weeks,” he said.

One of the objectives is to continue to expand distribution to other regions. Konopelski Kielbasa is sold in supermarkets in the Baltimore area and further distribution is being considered for Lehigh Valley, Harrisburg and Philadelphia.

“We want to keep distribution costs online,” Konopelski said.

Konopelski’s son Ryan, the company’s fourth generation, is responsible for online sales and marketing.

As well as bringing the Kielbasa family back to longtime customers and a new generation, Konopelski says the relaunch of the brand is a way of saying hello to his grandfather, father, uncle and other family members.

“For my grandfather, my father and my uncle, bringing him back is very gratifying and very emotional,” Konopelski said. “You do it for yourself and your customers, but also for your ancestors.

“The business started in 1920 and here we are in 2021 and back in the Kielbasa business.”