ROXBOROUGH, PHILADELPHIA — In 2023, finding products that are locally sourced and produced is increasingly important to consumers, and one Roxborough man is doing just that for the benefit of local dogs.
Jason Lamont, a Roxborough native, has for the past several weeks started selling beef bones he smokes himself to friends, family, neighbors, and more. Universal Cat And Dog Food
Using bones he sourced from butchers in Glenside and East Norriton, Lamont offers several bone sizes for dogs of varying stature under the banner of Smokey Jay's Gourmet Dog Bones.
Available bones start at 2-inch for $6 and are as big as 6.5 to 7 inches, giving the littlest Chihuahuas and the biggest Great Danes perfectly sized chew treats.
Lamont told Patch he started making the bones for his dogs, but offered one to a neighbor whose dog is rather picky.
He dropped a few off to the neighbor and her pup devoured the bones.
"I haven't had one single person message and say my dog isn't eating these," he said.
In just a few weeks' time, he's moved a few hundred of his home-smoked bones.
"A lot of my business has to do with people not wanting a bone that has shelf stable ingredients or preservatives," he said.
Many dog bones found in big box pet supply retailers are often dipped in liquid smoke then preservatives, flash cooked in a furnace, wrapped, and put on shelves indefinitely, he said.
For Lamont, using natural ingredients and ensuring freshness are integral in his process.
While store-bought bones have lengthy shelf lives, his are good in the freezer for about a year.
If storing in the fridge, he says dog owners should treat them like leftovers, discouraging customers from giving bones that have been refrigerated for about a week to their fur babies.
And he smokes batches of bones at a reasonable pace, as he doesn't want to give customers bones that have sat in his freezer for a month.
Lamont said he typically gets 40 pounds boxes of frozen bones, about 30 to 35 beef femurs to be specific.
Larger bones are often split before smoking, while smaller bones are smoked whole, imparting the apple, peach, and cherry wood flavors from the smoking process.
Lamont does not use any other ingredients in his smoking method, providing pure beef and fruit wood flavors.
The bones are thawed for a few hours, then smoked until they reach 180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
"The smoke seals in flavor by indirect heat," he said.
Smoking the bones, he said, also maintains the integrity of the meat left on the bone, which turns into jerky after the smoking process.
Once the smoking is done, Lamont rests the bones until they hit room temperature then wraps and labels them.
Those interested in getting their pups these local, natural dog bones have a few options for doing so.
Lamont said most of his customers message him on his Facebook page for Smokey Jay's Gourmet Dog Bones, where he often shares videos of happy dogs enjoying the bones, to purchase bones.
He recently launched a Shopify digital store, too.
Local delivery is available for orders of $60 and more, but if a customer is in King of Prussia, for example, Lamont said pickup is the go-to option.
Given he's a one-man operation, shipping is a bit of a hurdle logically and financially.
"I'm comfortable where I'm at," he said. "If there are events I can get to, I'll do that. But I enjoy people in the neighborhood coming by, sending me messages that their dogs loves these."
Lamont said he doesn't have any immediate plans to expand, but has garnered the interest of a pet store in Conshohocken that wants to carry his bones.
And, he's about to make some duck neck dog treats to expand his offerings after getting in with a Berks County farm that specializes in duck.
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