by Ann Marie Arment, Weavers Way Chestnut Hill Deli Manager

Those of you who shop the deli in Mt. Airy know we have offered Dietz & Watson cold cuts since the Co-op got its first meat slicer (or a very sharp knife!). Now, starting this month, the Chestnut Hill store will also feature Dietz & Watson meats and cheeses, and the Ambler store will follow suit when it opens this fall.

Dietz & Watson is a local, family-owned company we’re proud to partner with. How “local” and “family-owned”? You could look it up — and read the news stories online about the 91st birthday of Ruth “Momma Dietz” Eni and how the company recovered from a 2013 fire that destroyed its warehouse.

In June, some of us from Weavers Way toured the Dietz & Watson plant in Tacony. I admit I was skeptical about going behind the scenes of a processed-meat manufacturer, but I am glad we were afforded the opportunity to do so! I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the cutting edge — pun intended — facilities and systems in place there in Northeast Philadelphia. The precision, caution and quality control at the Dietz & Watson plant is exactly what you want behind your deli meat. 

Dietz & Watson offers “Originals,” a complete line of deli meat and all-beef hot dogs that are antibiotic free, and made without nitrates, preservatives, hormones or artificial colors. In addition, Originals cheeses are RBST-free. This makes the line an excellent choice for our deli. It was an easy decision to make, bringing the Originals to our stores, and we are pleased to be able to offer more products that meet the needs of our shoppers. 

Deli meat is a funny thing. Everybody who eats it has a favorite and a story to go with it. Take my friend Pat, of Kilian’s fame, who recently decided to fry beef bologna for the first time to make his new favorite sandwich. He remembered his first boss down at Hill Cycle sending him out for bologna at lunch and now, a few decades later, Pat is finally on board with it. Then there is Byron, who works with me here at Weavers Way in Chestnut Hill. Byron lit up at the request, “Tell me about your favorite lunchmeat sandwich as a kid.” His detailed account of a corned-beef hoagie with pepper-jack cheese not only surprised the heck out of me but sent me right back to my cutting board, where I recreated it to B’s satisfaction. Spoiler alert: There might be a fried-bologna sandwich and corned-beef hoagie happy hour at the sandwich station in August.

You can expect to see some big changes at the deli and meat counters over the next month. Please ask for samples and do not hesitate to tell us about YOUR favorite!