No missed steak: Washington City family sells jerky and hot sauce out of renovated horse trailers

WASHINGTON CITY —From smoked ghost pepper beef jerky to Louisianna garlic hot sauce, one family is seasoning the county with their unique recipes. And they’re sold out of a “Jerky Saloon” you won’t find anywhere else.

(L-R) Sean Churchill, Tyler Churchill and Rachel Churchill pose in front of their 1952 chevy truck branded with their company name, Washington, Utah, Nov. 2, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
(L-R) Sean Churchill, Tyler Churchill and Rachel Churchill pose in front of their 1952 chevy truck branded with their company name, Washington, Utah, Nov. 2, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Sean Churchill and his wife Rachel, owners of Churchill Jerky, moved back to St. George with their five children one year ago, bringing their specialty jerky business with them. Originally only selling their products at rodeos, they have since expanded to county fairs and other special events.

“So it’s kind of a fresh start to a fun business,” Sean Churchill said about the move to St. George. “We came here with a whole different business plan, and it’s really paid off in all kinds of different aspects of development.”

Running the business side by side, Churchill and his son Tyler renovate scrap yard horse trailers and handcraft them into mobile “Jerky Saloons” – which he said people go crazy for. Meanwhile Rachel Churchill handles the administrative side and their son Mason creates promotional materials. Additional members of the family have also worked at past events.

Prior to tapping into the jerky business, the family owned a San Diego motorcycle company that specialized in power sports manufacturing. They sold the business in 2000.

The Churchill Jerky trailer is shown at an event, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sean Churchill, St. George News
The Churchill Jerky trailer is shown at an event, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sean Churchill, St. George News

“My life had been completely consumed with wheels and engines,” Sean Churchill said. “My father passed away and that led me to want to use his last name, which is obviously my last name, but I wanted to do something totally out of my norm.”

In 2017, the family sat down to discuss business ideas, and that’s when Churchill said he suggested beef jerky. Although the family originally thought he was crazy, they began researching the industry while cooking their own jerky at home.

Going with a theme of Sean Churchill’s father’s upbringing in rodeos and cutting horses, they decided to lean into the cowboy theme and the business took off from there.

Products sold by Churchill Jerky are shown inside their "Jerky Saloon" during an event, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sean Churchill, St. George News
Products sold by Churchill Jerky are shown inside their “Jerky Saloon” during an event, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sean Churchill, St. George News

“It was either motorcycle racing or rodeos, kind of our two favorite parts of life, so it was a perfect fit for us,” he said. “It is definitely night and day to any business we’ve ever owned, and we’ve owned a few. It was so different that it was intriguing.”

When they discovered a USDA certification with a hefty price tag was required to make and sell their own product, they spent a year interviewing packing companies before they found one that met their standards for top-round beef and quality packaging. The company now creates and packages the jerky for them.

“Every aspect of making the jerky we wanted it steps above anyone else so that when we introduced it, people would immediately be drawn to it because of the quality,” Sean Churchill said.

The Churchill Jerky trailer is shown at an event, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sean Churchill, St. George News
The Churchill Jerky trailer is shown at an event, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sean Churchill, St. George News

When the pandemic hit and locked down their home in San Diego, California, Churchill and his son Tyler found a scrap horse trailer and spent three months renovating it into a trailer fit for their business. The pair began taking the “Jerky Saloon” to local rodeos, where people were “head over heels,” talking about the trailer just as much as their products. 

“We’re into it, we love it,” Sean Churchill said about building custom trailers. “We’re passionate about it. We could build 20 trailers this year and be as happy as it gets. It’s definitely hard work, though. Each one is like building a small house, but it’s so fun to do.”

A variety of Churchill Jerky is shown, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sean Churchill, St. George News
A variety of Churchill Jerky is shown, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sean Churchill, St. George News

The rodeo-specific business expanded upon their move to Southern Utah, and Churchill said they have since attended county fairs, gun shows, the UTV Takeover, Senior Games and more.

As for future plans, the family will soon offer renovated trailer rentals that can be used for a variety of businesses such as a coffee or alcohol bar, while avoiding the cost of a full trailer build themselves. They hope to open a retail store sometime next year as well as expand their hot sauce line. 

Churchhill Jerky currently sells eight flavors of jerky, 12 flavors of hot sauce and two types of BBQ sauce, along with “Dixie Heat,” “Old West Smokehouse” and Buffalo Garlic Chipotle” seasoning. See their Jerky Saloon stationary at the Tuacahn Amphitheater now through the holiday season.

For more information on Churchill Jerky, visit their website or find @churchilljerky on Instagram.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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