Broadbent Foods and Gifts :: Cadiz, Kentucky :: Interstate 24 at Exit 65

Broadbent Meats

Broadbent’s Award Winning History

Good Taste takes the prize when you serve a Broadbent’s B & B Country Ham. The Family has been curing country ham, bacon and sausage for 100 years. Smith Broadbent II, along with sons Smith III and Robert founded the retail business in 1966. The Bingham family of Louisville, KY. was also part of the operation in the beginning hence the “B & B” title. A series of family tragedies resulted in the Bingham’s withdrawal from the firm.
The names Trigg County and Broadbent’s are synonymous with the Kentucky’s most famous country hams. Smith Broadbent, III sold the family business to Ronny & Beth Drennan of Fredonia, Kentucky in March of 1999. Sandra Myers of the Kentucky New Era wrote on Aug. 19, 2000, “Those who bemoaned the sale of Broadbent’s B & B Foods two years ago can now rest easy. It’s a well-known fact that curing a good country ham is an art that few can master. However, traditionalist can now put their worries aside, as new owners Ronny and Beth Drennan have more than proven their ability to serve up good country ham. It all happened Thursday at the South Wing banquet hall at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville when their firm’s 2000 Grand Champion Ham was auctioned during the 37th annual Kentucky Country ham Breakfast. Since the Drennan’s have owned the company they have been named “Kentucky State Fair Grand Champion”. In 2005 Broadbent’s set a record for at the ham auction, with their ham selling for $340,000.00 at the annual charity event. The following year in 2006, they broke their own record with a ham selling for “One Half Million Dollars. Records are made to be broken, on August 26, 2010, Broadbent’s Kentucky State Fair Grand Champion sold for $1.6 Million Dollars”, that ham weighed 16.05 lbs. making the cost per lb. an unbelievable $99,688.47. This year, on August 17, 2011, Broadbent’s was again named Grand Champ with the ham auctioning of $600,000.00 for charity.The following is a listing of Broadbent winnings at the Kentucky State Fair:
[The Kentucky State Fair is the oldest competition we attend. Approximately 12-14 Kentucky companies compete for the Coveted Grand Champion Award each year. This competition consists of 6 classes with 1st , 2nd and 3rd place awards given. Classes 1-4 are made up of hams of different ages and weights. They are judged on appearance and aroma. Class 5 is the Best Taste or Cut Class where the ham is cut, cooked and tasted. Class 6 is awarded to the competitor with the highest score for the total of all five hams entered.]