Mill Iron L Meat provides quality custom butchering
For Colt Thayer, owner of Mill Iron L Meat in Wheatland, providing quality custom butchering services is a point of pride and a business ethic.
Mill Iron L Meat sells single cuts of fresh, locally-raised beef, lamb and pork at their retail counter. They also offer custom processing options to serve local producers.
The locally-owned and operated butcher shop puts customers first, keeping community at the core of operations while maintaining a high standard of quality.
About Mill Iron L Meat
Mill Iron L Meat started as an idea in 2020 when Thayer recognized a need for more custom butchering and meat processing options in the Wheatland area.
Thayer, who has ranched with Brooks Shepard near Wheatland for the last decade, says the inspiration came about from a desire to share fresh, high-quality, locally-raised meat with the surrounding community.
“We have always had our own beef, and I thought it was too good not to share with people,” Thayer says.
Thayer purchased the processing plant in 2022 and has spent the past three years building the shop’s team and expanding services.
“Our main goal is always quality and customer service,” Thayer says. “Quality and customer service over anything else.”
As owner, Thayer oversees scheduling and day-to-day operations at the shop. The processing team is composed of Head Butcher Troy Laughlin and Meat Cutter Tobey May.
“The dynamic between the three of us covers what we need,” Thayer says. “We really thrive in this environment and work well together.”
Services offered
Thayer says customers can be sure they are getting the freshest and most high-quality options of meat when they choose to shop at Mill Iron L Meat.
Beef sold at the storefront comes from cattle raised by Thayer and Shepard, who oversee the process from breeding to butchering. Pork comes from hogs raised by Nick and Kayla Mantle, and lamb is sourced from sheep raised by Crane Sheep Company.
Mill Iron L Meat also hosts lamb tastings on select days to get the word out about lamb and showcase the quality of meat coming from the shop.
In addition to freshness and quality, Mill Iron L Meat’s customer service is a point of pride for Thayer and his team. As a local company, they have both the capacity and the desire to truly serve and look out for their customers in ways large-scale retailers do not.
On the custom processing side, Mill Iron L Meat offers options for quarters, halves and whole animals. Chug Springs Butchery provides slaughter services, and carcasses are processed in-house at Mill Iron L Meat.
Thayer notes, “We know how much goes into raising livestock, so we want our customers to get the best quality meat from the animals they put so much time and effort into.”
In terms of turnaround, Thayer says customers can expect a roughly 15- to 16-day window with beef and slightly longer with pork since those cuts take more time to cure. Goats and lamb able to be processed in roughly a week.
We like our beef to hang for about two weeks to make a better product,” Thayer notes. “We really strive for high Choice or Prime and truly want to make our product the best it can be.”
Community commitment
As a local business, staying involved in the Wheatland community is important to Thayer and Mill Iron L Meat.
“Our community is really close knit,” Thayer says. “We all try to work together and help everyone be successful.”
Thayer notes the shop is a proud sponsor of the Wheatland Bulldogs and an active supporter of local 4-H and FFA chapters and the county fair.
The Mill Iron L Meat storefront also hosts commodity handouts in partnership with the Wyoming Food Bank on the second Wednesday of every month, overseen by Thayerʼs mother Karen. Shipments come in from Casper on a large truck and everyone pitches in to get things organized in the shop’s coolers.
“Our main mission is to be a helping hand,” Thayer says.
Looking ahead
Mill Iron L Meat is committed to growing their customer base locally, continuing to provide quality products to the Wheatland area. The shop has the capacity to take in more business right away.
“We are open for immediate dates,” Thayer says. “Everybody who has come in has given us positive feedback, so for us it’s just a matter of reaching more people. We want to give people the quality products and customer service they want and need.”
Mill Iron L Meat is located at 1810 9th Street in Wheatland and open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
