Cracker Barrel's Sausage Supplier Keeps Family Recipe Since 1932

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Cracker Barrel has used Purnell's 'Old Folks' Country Sausage, a family-run company in Tennessee that has been producing sausage the whole hog way since 1932, as the original sausage for its menu for almost 50 years. The Purnell family takes pride in using the best cuts of meat and all-natural spices in their sausage recipe, which has been passed down for three generations.

Why it matters

Cracker Barrel's commitment to homestyle cooking and using high-quality, traditional ingredients like Purnell's sausage has helped the restaurant maintain its reputation for authentic Southern cuisine over the decades, even as the restaurant industry has seen many changes.

The details

Fred B. Purnell, who worked on the Nashville railroad, started making his family's sausage recipe in 1932 because he couldn't find any sausage that tasted as good. He eventually left the railroad to make sausage full-time, and the Purnell family business was born. The company prides itself on using the best cuts of meat and all-natural spices in its sausage, which has been a key part of Cracker Barrel's menu for almost 50 years.

• The Purnell family business began in 1932.
• Fred Purnell left the railroad to make sausage full-time in 1944.
• Purnell's 'Old Folks' Country Sausage has been a part of Cracker Barrel's menu for almost 50 years.