Take a Step Back in Time to Headon’s Fine Meats by Jeff Meiners
It’s about a half hour ride along the backroads between Ashton and Creston. The ride brings a little of the flavor of Northwest Illinois with a few trains, tractors, cows and endless corn fields to be seen along the way. It becomes quickly obvious that the town of Ashton (population 1000 and the home of Crest) is a metropolis compared to the tiny little town of Creston. However, Creston is home to a treasure that any town would be envious of…the unique business known as Headon’s Fine Meats. A single step through the front doors will find one immediately transported to a scene from the 1950’s. Wood plank floors, tin ceilings, old fashioned show cases, overtly friendly staff, more cuts of meat than one can imagine and countless home made goods create an atmosphere that draws people from miles around. Headon’s business is based on high end quality and service that sets them apart as unique and is refreshingly different than most other food buying experiences in the area. Fortunately for us, they have been the caterers to our Christmas dinners and Year End celebrations for many years. Last year they supplied a whopping 800 pounds of turkey and ham, along with all the trimmings, to our Christmas dinners. Headon’s has been in business since 1970 when Lyle Headon returned to his home town after serving in the Viet- nam war to build a business based on his skills as a butcher. No doubt, he built a great business, but when it was time to hang up his cleaver he was looking for the perfect fit to lead his business into the future. He found just the right people in the father and son team of Mark and Justin Hibshman. They had been working together in other ventures for nearly 13 years and jumped on the chance to take on a new challenge. A hand shake and a promise to carry on the traditions and keep the name were the foundations of passing on this business to new owners. Mark, Justin and their 23 valued employees have indeed done everything promised to carry on traditions and bring this business to a new level. The shopping experience at Headon’s is exceptional. Their products are superb in qual- ity across the board. Their selection is pretty amazing….in one week alone they will make over 1500 pounds of brats in up to 57 different flavors. Last year this tiny little store tucked away in a wide spot in the road in the middle of the cornfields sold 582,000 pounds of meat, 643,000 brats, 71,000 pork chops and 408,000 beef sticks. Just for kicks, they even processed 730 deer for hunters this fall. We’re proud to consider Headon’s a valued supplier. Stop by and see them sometime if you are looking for a unique experience combined with some really good food. By the way, rumor has it that they make up some pretty mean Bloody Mary’s on Saturday mornings.
January, February & March 2023 Crest Ink 9
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