Edwards Meats was founded in 1962 by Herb Edwards. Herb literally built the store with his bare hands, pouring concrete, building the meat cooler and laying the groundwork for the small shop that was initially located next to Abner’s Market, an outdoor fruit and vegetable stand. It didn’t take long before both businesses began growing in leaps and bounds, and it was clear a new location was needed. In 1966, Abner’s and Edwards Meats trudged through a snowstorm to move from the north side of 44th Ave. to the south side, and they’ve been in this location ever since.
In the early days, Herb’s son, Ernie, worked side by side with him, creating the strong family vibe that we’re still known for today. In March of 1974, Herb and Ernie built a smokehouse to satisfy the growing requests from their loyal customers for home-smoked products. This turned out to be a game-changer for Edwards Meats, allowing us to create the signature products we’re still famous for today. Our handcrafted bacon, ham, turkey, and sausages are crowd favorites. Just give us a call to place your order or visit our store for the full experience.
Ernie officially took over the business in 1977, and he had a lot of help keeping his father’s legacy alive. Over the years, Ernie’s son, daughter, brothers, sisters, an aunt, a cousin, several nieces, nephews, and now a couple of his granddaughters worked at the shop alongside him. That’s right, when we say we’re a family-run business, we mean it. The whole family has contributed to our success, and this is one of the biggest reasons we maintain such a strong family atmosphere to this day.
In 2001, Ernie and his son Darin remodeled and expanded the store from 2,000 sq. ft. to over 5,000 sq. ft., and this expansion has been essential to accommodating our growing customer base. Service counters were expanded, and huge freezers and a new stainless steel smokehouse were installed as part of the remodel.
Darin has been working at the store since he was six years old, and he runs the show today. You can still see Ernie hanging around the shop from time to time, but Darin is now carrying the torch as the third generation of the family to run Edwards Meats.
Every year, new customers discover what long-timers have known for decades – there’s no better place to elevate your culinary game and shop for a fabulous quality meal than Edwards Meats.
There aren’t too many businesses in Wheat Ridge that can say they’ve been around since 1962, and we’re proud of this longevity in the town we call home. Edwards Meats has been a fixture in the Wheat Ridge community for over six decades, and we’ve made a lot of friends along the way.
Longtime customers fill our aisles every day. Some of these people have been shopping here since the early days when Ernie was in charge. Often, we’ll see their kids and grandkids in the store as well, planning meals for their very own families. Edwards Meats has been a part of their family’s tradition since they were kids, and we’re honored that they’ve kept this tradition alive now that they’re all grown up.
If you shop at Edwards Meats regularly, you know you’re more than just a customer to us. Our team probably greets you by name when you walk in the door. We’ve also probably asked you how your last meal went. We love hearing stories from our customers about the delicious meals they cook up with our quality meats. It brings joy to our hearts to know our store is such a huge part of our customers’ family memories.
We are more than just a fixture in the community; we actively strive to give back in meaningful ways. One of our key initiatives involves supporting the El Jebel Shrine in Denver, an organization dedicated to helping children in need. Darin and his family regularly volunteer their time, donate raffle items, and contribute in any way they can to assist this important cause. These donations go directly to support Shriners Hospitals for Children®, an international healthcare system with 22 hospitals that provide specialized pediatric care. The dedicated staff at these facilities work tirelessly to enhance the lives of children facing orthopedic issues, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, ensuring that all children, regardless of their financial situation, receive the care they need.
We also give back by supporting the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving big game wildlife and their habitats in the region. When we see a way to give back to our community, we do it.
We’re proud of our story, and of being such a longstanding part of our community. But we’re even more proud of the family vibe we’ve cultivated at the shop, our passion for enhancing the lives of our customers, and our ability to deliver the best selection and highest quality products around. We hope you’ll stop by sometime soon to see for yourself. We’re confident you’ll love the atmosphere, enjoy chatting with our team and be blown away by the selection and quality we provide. You may even find that you become one of the regulars we greet by name whenever you walk through the door, and our shop becomes part of the fabric of your family’s culinary experiences.
