ROUSES_Fall2023_Magazine

RICHARD’S, CHURCH POINT, LA ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Lonnie Richard’s first job was helping out at his grandmother’s small store in Church Point, Louisiana. The star attrac tions were his grandmother’s homemade smoked sausage, boudin and andouille. Recognizing the appeal and potential, Lonnie ventured to expand their reach. With his grandmother’s blessing, Lonnie purchased a delivery truck to bring the family’s beloved Cajun specialties to other stores in Acadia and nearby parishes. Richard’s has evolved and now offers a comprehen sive range of prepared Cajun favorite entrées that hold the esteemed designation of being Certified Cajun. Alongside these offerings, they continue to provide their original line of exceptional smoked meats. SAVOIE’S, OPELOUSAS, LA ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Eula Savoie (pronounced SA-vwa) grew a small Cajun grocery store in Opelousas into a sausage-making empire known for its traditional andouille, tasso and dressing mixes — she was even the first to market roux in a jar in the 1960s. Savoie’s is still owned and operated by the family, with many employees coming from the same families who first worked for Ms. Eula. Households all over South Louisiana use Savoie’s Smoked Sausages — the original product that started it all — to create their family’s authentic dishes.

COUNTRY PLEASIN’, FLORENCE, MS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT In 1976, Henry Cooper acquired a small meat packaging business in Mississippi that serviced approximately 30 local

stores. During the challenging initial period, Cooper primarily focused on packaging meat, processing deer and providing custom slaughtering services. He also began making sausage. Today, Cooper’s brand, Country Pleasin’, is made at a state-of the-art meat processing plant located in Florence, Mississippi, with prime cuts of pork and a careful blend of spices and sugar.

DOUBLE D, BOGALUSA, LA ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT In 1967, Tillman “Dutch” Stogner, Sr. relocated his family from New Orleans to the small town of Sun, near Bogalusa. His intention was to establish a butcher shop that would offer custom processing services to local farmers. It was during this time that his smoked

sausage emerged as a byproduct of hog butchering. Today the company’s hickory smoked sausage, crafted from a blend of pork, cured ham and fat trimmings, is more popular than ever.

VERON, PRAIRIEVILLE, LA ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT In 1938, J.P. Veron estab

MANDA, BATON ROUGE, LA ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT In 1947, brothers Vincent, John and Bennie Manda estab lished Manda Provision Company, laying the foundation for what is now known as Manda Fine Meats. Drawing from their Sicilian heritage and Cajun influences, the siblings created uniquely flavored smoked sausages. Manda Fine Meats offers two variations of their smoked sausages: natural casing smoked sausage and skinless smoked sausage, which is free from casing. Presently, the company is proudly owned and operated by three of Vincent Manda’s grandsons, ensuring the continuation of the family legacy.

lished Veron Smoked Sausage, starting from a backyard meat market in Gramercy, Louisiana. Since then, their sausage has remained faithful to the

original recipe. It is made with finely ground boneless shoulder meat, along with a blend of seasonings, garlic, red pepper and

traditional spices. The sausage is then hickory smoked in an aged smokehouse and packaged while still fresh. This dedication to tradition ensures that Veron Smoked Sausage continues to deliver its distinct flavor and quality to this day.

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