7 Kentucky Smokehouses Where Shoppers Order Country Ham For The Holidays
A ham cured in Kentucky now sits in a ham museum in Spain. Yes, a ham museum.
Spain takes its cured pork very seriously, so that honor still makes me grin.
That museum spot isn’t a fluke, either. Kentucky families have been salting, smoking, and patiently aging hams for generations.
Some of these hams hang for a year or more before anyone slices into them.
I admire that kind of slow, stubborn tradition. Holiday cooks clearly love it too.
The smokehouses on this list ship hams across the country, sell them over old store counters, and pack them for family feasts and gift boxes.
Some sell whole hams with the bone in. Others offer cooked, sliced packs that make Christmas morning biscuits ridiculously easy.
1. Broadbent B & B Food Products
Few ham makers can say they started selling before the Model T got popular. Broadbent’s sold its first dry cured meats in 1909 and never looked back.
By 1965, the company was shipping its products across the U.S. That’s a lot of holiday boxes leaving western Kentucky over the decades.
The headliner here is award-winning dry cured country ham. Smoked bacon and smoked breakfast sausage round out the famous trio.
Those awards aren’t small potatoes, either. Broadbent’s has collected a long string of Grand Champion Ham titles at the Kentucky State Fair.
Patience is part of the recipe. The dry-cured and smoked meats age for six to nine months before they’re ready for your skillet.
You can stop by and take home smoked ham, bacon, and sausage straight from the source. Broadbent’s even invites visitors to learn about the dry curing traditions passed down through generations here.
That makes the trip more than a shopping errand. It’s a mini history lesson that happens to smell like hickory smoke.
The company moved into its Kuttawa facility in 2008. Today it serves home cooks, restaurants, and retail stores around the country.
Plan your visit on a weekday, since the doors open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM. Weekends stay closed, so don’t save this stop for Saturday.
The free parking lot makes it easy to load up a cooler. And honestly, who leaves a ham shop with just one package?
Address: 257 Mary Blue Rd, Kuttawa, KY 42055
2. Penn Country Hams
Three Grand Champion Ham wins at the Kentucky State Fair would make anyone a little proud. Penn’s earned that title in 1984, 1999, and 2019.
The family behind this shop goes back a long way on this land. Their roots in the area reach to the early 1800s.
The ham business itself started in 1959. Now it’s a fifth-generation operation, still curing pork the old-fashioned way.
You’ll find the shop out on Liberty Road, a short drive from Campbellsville. It’s a Certified Farm Market, and the products carry the Kentucky Proud label.
Country hams lead the lineup, of course. Country sausage, country bacon, and platter bacon fill out the meat case nicely.
Shoppers can also grab deli meats, cheeses, and jams or jellies. That’s basically a full holiday breakfast spread in one stop.
Short on time before a big family meal? The pre-sliced, cooked, vacuum-packed country ham is an easy win.
The sausage makes a sneaky great gift too. Hand a roll to an out-of-state relative and watch them suddenly start calling more often.
Hours run Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Saturday hours are shorter, from 10 AM to 2 PM, and Sundays stay closed.
Mail order is available if you can’t make the drive. Still, a visit to the farm store adds a nice dose of small-town Kentucky charm.
Address: 8812 Liberty Rd, Campbellsville, KY 42718
3. Browning’s Country Ham
Here’s a ham shop where you can shop for the holidays and eat lunch at the same time. Browning’s runs as both a deli and a barbecue restaurant built around its signature country ham.
The story goes back to 1970. That’s more than five decades of curing in Grant County.
Slow is the whole point. Hams here cure for up to about a year, rubbed with salt, brown sugar, and spices before hanging and smoking.
You can choose traditional hams, cook centers, spiral sliced options, and biscuit or center cuts. The boneless cooked country ham ranks as a bestseller.
Hungry while you browse? The Country Ham Sandwich comes thick-sliced, and the pulled pork sandwich is right there tempting you too.
Side dishes include a baked potato salad. Wash it down with Browning’s fresh squeezed lemonade.
Out-of-town relatives aren’t left out. Nationwide shipping sends whole uncooked hams to holiday tables far beyond Kentucky.
Gift baskets and corporate gifts are on offer as well. That could solve your office present problem in one phone call.
The shop sits on Main Street with free parking nearby. Open hours run Tuesday through Thursday from 11 AM to 6 PM.
Friday and Saturday stretch until 8 PM, while Sunday and Monday stay closed. Weekend evenings get the busiest, so a weekday lunch makes for a calmer stop.
Address: 12 S Main St, Dry Ridge, KY 41035
4. Johnson’s Country Ham
Seven days a week of ham access is a beautiful thing in December. Johnson’s opens daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, even on Sundays.
That schedule stands out on this list. If your holiday planning happens on weekends, this one fits right in.
The shop is family-owned and operated. It sits in Union, out in the Northern Kentucky suburbs south of Cincinnati.
Whole hams are the main event here. You can pick cooked or uncooked, depending on how much kitchen work you want to tackle.
Going uncooked gives you full control over soaking and baking. Going cooked lets you skip straight to slicing and bragging.
The family describes its hams as ideal for holidays and gatherings. They’re also fair game for a plain old Tuesday dinner, if you ask me.
Not feeling a whole ham? Prepackaged ham is available for smaller households or quick breakfasts.
The 2 lb sausage rolls deserve a spot on your list too. They’re handy for holiday brunch casseroles or biscuits and gravy.
One smart tip: call before you go, or place your order online. Popular items can move fast when the holidays roll around.
The stop is usually a quick one, so it slides easily between other errands. That’s helpful when you’re juggling gifts, groceries, and visiting relatives.
Address: 9953 Old Union Rd, Union, KY 41091
5. Newsom’s Hams Old Mill Store
A famous food writer praised this family’s ham back in 1975. Decades later, a Newsom ham earned a spot in a ham museum in Aracena, Spain.
Not bad for a store on Main Street in Princeton. The family’s curing roots in Caldwell County go back to the 1800s.
The hams here are dry-cured and hickory-smoked. Each one gets hand-rubbed with salt and brown sugar, with no nitrates or nitrites.
Then comes the waiting game. These hams age for a year or more, which explains that deep, rich flavor people chase.
The store also offers a prosciutto-style ham. That’s a fun twist for a Kentucky smokehouse with a Spanish fan club.
Look for the Preacher Ham too, a smoked ham with its own loyal following. Country ham sits right alongside it.
Shelves hold plenty of extras for gift baskets. Think pimento cheese, jams and jellies, candies, and scone, biscuit, and pancake mixes.
Fair warning: the smell of ham greets you the moment you step inside. Your stomach will start making decisions before your brain does.
The store opens Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM. Saturday runs from 10 AM to 2 PM, and that morning tends to be busiest.
Online ordering helps if western Kentucky is too far away. Either way, this ham comes with serious bragging rights.
Address: 208 E Main St, Princeton, KY 42445
6. Meacham Hams Inc
Not everyone wants a ham that hits like a salt lick. Meacham Hams is known for a milder flavor, which makes it a smart pick for gentler palates.
The business began in 1932. It’s still family-owned and operated today.
You’ll find it in Union County, about a mile off U.S. Highway 60.
It sits between Morganfield and Sturgis in western Kentucky.
The lineup covers a full range of country cured meats and barbecue products. Uncooked country hams share space with bacon, sausage, cheese, and gifts.
Cooked options are where holiday hosts can really relax. Meacham offers a custom cooked boneless whole country ham.
There’s also cooked, sliced country ham in a 2 lb package. That’s biscuit duty handled before your coffee finishes brewing.
The family has some trophy history too. Meacham won best tasting ham in the cut ham class at the 1999 Kentucky State Fair.
Loyalty runs deep with this one. Some fans happily drive in from other states just to stock up.
Weekday hours run from 9 AM to 5 PM. Saturdays are short, from 9 AM to noon, and Sundays stay closed.
In-store pickup works well for big holiday orders. Shipping is available too, if Union County isn’t on your route.
Address: 695 O Nan Dyer Rd, Sturgis, KY 42459
7. Boone’s Butcher Shop
Sometimes the best holiday ham run also covers the roast, the chops, and the snack tray. Boone’s Butcher Shop handles that kind of multitasking with ease.
This full-service butcher shop and custom meat processor sits on Old Bloomfield Pike in Bardstown. Smoking happens right on site.
Country ham gets a lot of love here. Fans call it a must-have, and it slices up nicely for holiday biscuits.
Don’t skip the bologna while you’re at it. It’s a sleeper hit for anyone who loves a classic fried bologna sandwich.
The fresh meat selection is wide. You’ll find cuts ready for a holiday roast or an ordinary weeknight.
Pre-packaged marinated items are ready to go straight onto the grill or into a skillet. That’s a lifesaver when the house is full of hungry relatives.
House-cured bacon and sausage add more breakfast options. Local cheeses and dips turn a quick stop into a party platter.
Hungry now? Deli sandwiches keep you fueled while you shop.
Some shoppers happily drive an hour to stock up here. With a list this long, the trip pays off.
Hours run Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 6 PM. Saturday opens early at 7 AM and closes at 3 PM, so plan around busy Saturday mornings.
Address: 100 Old Bloomfield Pike, Bardstown, KY 40004
