On a recent Thursday morning, dignitaries from Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats gathered to slice a ceremonial piece of cured beef on the sidewalk in front of the entrance to its new store on North Railroad Street, at what used to be Ray’s Bicycle Shop.
Just like that, one of Palmyra’s oldest businesses had a brand-new venue for offering its century-old products to consumers.
Billed as a museum, it’s more of an outlet store than any sort of hallowed grounds to soak up history. But it still is full of bologna.
Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats Outlet Store and Museum is first and foremost a tribute to Lebanon bologna, a celebration of the cured beef product that put Lebanon County on the map.
They don’t erect too many museums in these parts, not even ones doubling as retail spaces. But in Lebanon County, there are few institutions more worthy than Lebanon bologna.
“We produce one of the oldest lunch meats in central Pennsylvania and maybe the world,” said Perry Smith, a business and sales consultant for Seltzer’s and perhaps the foremost authority on Lebanon bologna in the world. “The business is still family-owned, which also makes it unique.”
The Seltzer family in Palmyra dates back to 1902, Smith explained.
“At one time, the Seltzers had a drug store, a movie theater and a ball field in town,” he said.
A stone’s throw from the tourist attractions of Hershey, the walls do display a number of memorabilia-type items that spotlight Lebanon bologna’s—and Seltzer’s—storied past. In addition to an expanded product line—beef jerky, bologna chubs, new twists on old favorites—the outlet store offers other central PA delicacies like opera fudge, Lancaster County cheeses and even a few Hershey’s chocolate bars.
“My favorite way to eat it is as a good old sandwich,” said Smith, of Lebanon bologna. “Some people around the holidays will roll it up with cream cheese and horseradish and make it into pinwheels. Some people put peanut butter on it or syrup on it. You can slice it into chunks and eat it with pretzels and cheese while watching a football game. There’s no wrong way to eat Lebanon bologna.”
Smoked Goodness
At one point in the early 20th century, some seven or eight different local manufacturers produced their own distinct versions of Lebanon bologna. Seltzer’s may or may not have been the first, but the Palmyra-based operation certainly is the last—at least in Lebanon County.
Seltzer’s has stood the test of time by staying true to the process, true to its product and true to itself. While times have changed, Lebanon bologna hasn’t.
“It’s a very unique product,” said Auston Wagner, the fourth-generation owner of Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats. “It’s a regional item. It’s very special to this area. It’s something people in this area really identify with.”
Some 92% of Lebanon bologna is all beef. The other 8% is salt, sugar, spices and smoky goodness.
“Why are we the ones left?” asked Smith. “We stayed with the old traditional way of making Lebanon bologna. The same smokehouses, the same type of wood, the same fire pits. No one makes it that way anymore. That’s why we won out.”
This culinary affection for Lebanon bologna may be an acquired taste, but, once it is obtained, there’s no going back.
“Lebanon bologna has a very tangy taste to it, which comes from the smoking,” said Smith, a 67-year-old resident of North Annville. “Sweet Lebanon bologna is totally different. It has a totally different taste than Lebanon bologna. But both come from the all-smoked goodness, and there is nothing in it that lessens the quality.”
Besides the Smokehouse, Lebanon bologna is readily available in every major grocery store in central Pennsylvania and all up and down the East Coast, from Boston to Florida. And it continues to spread its wings into places like the Midwest, California and Texas.
“Outside of the East Coast, you can find us, but you have to look for us,” Smith said. “The industry calls us a ‘niche item.’ In some areas of the country, we’re hit or miss, but we put Lebanon on the map.”
Marketing research tells Seltzer’s that continued growth hinges on the development of new products to attract a younger customer base. Tradition tells Seltzer’s to keep doing what it’s been doing.
Familiarity creates loyalty. Yet Smith believes that the future of the company and Lebanon bologna is secure because “we make a quality product at a fair price that people love.”
“We’re trying to get Lebanon bologna into a format that a younger generation wants to eat,” said Wagner. “A snackable format like jerky is important to the new generation. There are efforts underway to connect with the younger generation. It’s just sharing what makes us unique.”
Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats Outlet Store and Museum is located at 209 N. Railroad St., Palmyra. For more information, visit www.seltzerssmokehousemeats.com.
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