Where is Wright Bacon Processed? A Look at the History and Production of This Iconic Brand

Wright Brand bacon holds a special place in the hearts and stomachs of bacon lovers across America. With its signature thick-cut slices and smoky, hearty flavor, Wright has been a breakfast staple for generations. But where exactly is this beloved bacon produced? To find out, we have to go back nearly 100 years to the origin story of Wright Bacon.

A Humble Beginning in Vernon, Texas

The Wright bacon story begins in 1922 in Vernon, Texas. That’s when Egbert Eggleston, his son Fay, and son-in-law Roy Wright opened a small grocery store in town. Dissatisfied with the thin, flavorless bacon available at the time, the trio set out to create a better product.

In the back of their modest store, they began hand-selecting pork bellies, carefully trimming each slice, and using their own family cure recipe to produce bacon with a thicker cut and bolder, wood-smoked taste. It was an painstaking, small-batch process, but their commitment paid off in full-bodied flavor.

Word of this tasty new bacon spread through the community. Before long, Wright Brand meats were being sold in stores throughout the Southwest. Even as demand grew, the family stubbornly insisted on controlling every step of production themselves to meet their unwavering standards.

Keeping Tradition Alive in Vernon

Flash forward 100 years, and not much has changed about the way Wright Bacon is crafted. The bacon is still processed and smoked in Vernon, Texas, where that first slab was trimmed by hand back in 1922.

While the company is now owned by food giant Tyson Foods, descendants of the Wright family still work at the plant, passing down generations of bacon-making wisdom. State-of-the-art equipment has been implemented, but tradition still reigns supreme.

From pork belly selection to slicing and smoking, Wright Brand bacon continues to be made the old-fashioned way. Every step is meticulously controlled and monitored to honor the brand’s legacy of quality. This commitment to tradition is why Wright bacon still has that signature hearty flavor today.

Expanding to Meet Demand While Keeping Standards High

Over the past few years, Wright Brand has experienced impressive growth as new generations discover the joys of its premium smoked bacon To keep up with rising consumer demand while maintaining exceptional quality standards, Tyson Foods recently invested $26 million to expand the Vernon bacon plant.

The expansion completed in early 2021 added new jobs, production lines, and capacity to the facility. However, the plant’s time-honored process remains unchanged. Each pork belly is still hand-trimmed, slowly smoked over real hardwood, and carefully sliced according to the company’s proprietary standards.

Tyson and Wright Brand take pride in painstakingly crafting what many consider the perfect slice of bacon just as the Wright family did back in 1922. The expansion simply allows them to share this beloved bacon with more bacon buffs across the country.

What Makes Wright Bacon So Special?

From its early days as a small Texas grocer to its modern expansion under Tyson Foods, Wright Brand Bacon has always prized tradition, craftsmanship, and flavor. But what exactly makes it stand out from other mass-produced bacons today?

Thick Cut and Perfectly Trimmed

Wright bacon sports a noticeably thicker, heartier cut than many commercial bacons. Pork bellies are hand-selected and meticulously trimmed by experienced workers at the Vernon plant. This time-intensive approach delivers more meaty bacon goodness in every slice.

Real Wood Smoking

Virtually all Wright bacon varieties are slowly smoked over real hardwood fires, not artificially flavored. Applewood, hickory, and other wood smoke infuses the meat for authentic down-home flavor. The Double Smoked variety, as its name implies, gets double the real-wood smoking for an extra smoky punch.

Minimal Preservatives

As a high-quality natural product, Wright bacon contains no artificial preservatives like nitrites. Only a touch of celery powder is used to preserve freshness and color. The lack of artificial ingredients allows pure pork flavor to take center stage.

Award-Winning Taste

All that old-fashioned care pays off in the taste. Wright Bacon has won numerous awards and tasting competitions for itsexceptional flavor. Its signature flavors like hickory smoked, applewood smoked, and maple flavored have made Wright a pantry staple for 100 years and counting.

Vernon Pride

As the long-time economic heart of Vernon, Texas, the Wright plant feels deep pride in producing the beloved hometown product. Generation after generation, Vernon families have relied on Wright for quality jobs and community support. That local pride translates into commitment to superior workmanship.

The Future of an Iconic Brand

What does the future hold for Wright Brand Bacon as it enters its second century in business? If history is any indication, the brand will continue upholding time-honored standards while expanding its reach to satisfy America’s enduring bacon obsession.

Tyson Foods plans to invest in improving sustainability and efficiency at the Vernon plant without sacrificing traditional production methods. The introduction of innovative flavors beyond mainstays like hickory and maple also keeps Wright bacon on trend.

However, the sincere focus on hand-crafting premium bacon with care using century-old family secrets will remain at the heart of Wright’s identity. From the small town of Vernon to breakfast tables nationwide, devotees hope to keep waking up to the sizzling perfection of Wright Brand Bacon for 100 more years to come.