Meat&Poultry - November 2014 - 47

MAINE-MADE

success
At Maurice Bonneau's Sausage Kitchen,
size doesn't matter - quality does
BY STEVE KRUT

meatpoultry@sosland.com

T

he small community of Lisbon

Maurice tapped into his home-

nursery along with a side business that

Falls, Maine, is home to one of the

taught food and sausage background

hauled liquid asphalt and building sup-

most improbable...but maybe one of

during his four-year stint in the Coast

plies. But when those businesses floun-

the classiest...extremely small sausage

Guard, teaching frugality as the ship's

dered, Maurice took over the former

operations to grace North America.

commissary manager. In those days,

nursery buildings and started produc-

Its start-up and continued success to-

uneaten food was thrown overboard.

ing sausages.

day are remarkable for many reasons.

"Dad was raised in an environment

"The place he operated out of was

It all began with a French Cana-

where nothing was wasted," explains

in such a remote area, most people

dian family that moved to the Fran-

Maurice's son Andre, now president of

couldn't find it if they were looking

co-American community of Lewis-

Maurice Bonneau's Sausage Kitchen.

for it," Andre says. "He even put up

ton in 1929. Lucien Bonneau was a

"He conjured up casseroles and pre-

a series of progressive signs with a few

butcher and professional meat-cut-

pared tasty snacks and meals from

words on each to slow traffic down and

ter who opened a small grocery store

those leftovers."

entice potential customers."

in 1935. Always the innovator, Luc-

After his active duty in the service,

Andre adds, "Pigs, goats and sheep

ien introduced frozen meats to locals

Maurice realized he knew how to cut

were raised at the former nursery,

who didn't believe in them but were

and process meats, but was inexpe-

which also doubled as a petting zoo,

soon converted to realize their value.

rienced in other meat-business skills

so there was always a supply of fresh

He taught his son, Maurice, about all

and went on to train at the now-closed

meats. But finally, the day came when

things sausage and life lessons about

National School of Meat Cutting in

Dad was considering closing the busi-

thrift. Maurice was just a child help-

Toledo, Ohio. His new training, cou-

ness. He wasn't interested in selling it,

ing in the family business, standing on

pled with the skills he learned from his

just closing the doors."

crates to reach the work tables, never

dad and old family recipes, empow-

even thinking about being paid.

ered him to become a sausage con-

Postal approach

Four times the fledgling enterprise

noisseur. But before venturing into

Andre, who was trained in criminal

expanded before growing to super-

the meat business, Maurice purchased

justice, and his brother Frank, who to-

market size and then finally closing

two logging skidders and supervised

gether operate an auto repair shop, re-

its doors in 1987.

their crews. He also managed a plant

alized how much of the family tradition

www.MeatPoultry.com * November 2014 * Meat&Poultry *

47
http://www.MeatPoultry.com
Meat&Poultry - November 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat&Poultry - November 2014
