The Growing Industry of Beef Jerky Over the Past 3 Years

While beef jerky, or dried meat, is said to have been eaten in ancient Egypt and many other places around the world right up to the present day, it’s now becoming the go-to chew for those who want natural, high protein, low sugar snacks. There is plenty of evidence that people around the world have been enjoying this healthy, tasty, preserved meat snack for hundreds of years. Archaeologists have found dried meat in Egyptian tombs, and the Incas were making Ch’arki (dried meat) in the 1550s in the Andes, probably from llamas or alpacas. North American Indians also dried their meat and made Pemmican with berries and fat from Moose and other available meat sources. Jerky was made in South and West Africa and in ancient Rome.

Natural, High Protein, Low Sugar Snacks

The Australian market over the past three years is catching up with the surge in demand overseas for beef jerky, with companies such as JEEERKS™ in Queensland supplying a variety of very tasty, healthy snacks. There are other brands here serving traditional niche segments for beef jerky for bars and pubs, hikers and campers, and a few bilton brands cater to a community of South Africans resident in Australia. But the market here is growing with consumer trends like those influencing growth in dried meat snacks in the UK and US finding their way Down Under.

There’s a Demand for High Protein Foods

In Australia, especially in the metropolitan areas, there’s a high and growing demand for food high in protein, and this is a well-developed market, given a boost by Australian golfer Greg Norman stepping to the business last January with a Wagyu beef jerky product. Also, consumer research(1) shows around 50 per cent of people in metro areas prefer to get their protein from natural foods like eggs, nuts and meat. Small beef jerky snack start-ups that provide quality and provenance are already being publicised in the media. And there’s an opportunity for meat snacks to play an important role in sports nutrition the way it does in the US or UK where dried meat snacks are part of performance nutrition because it is a clean protein product. Australians are realising the value of this as well.

New Kid on the Beef Jerky Block

A young human resources manager called Pip Clark who hailed from Kirra in Queensland was frustrated by the quality of beef jerky available in Australia. So what did she do? She took the bold step and started making her own tasty, traditional and nutritional beef jerky four years ago. Now, through smart enterprising and lots of hard work, Pip has put JEEERKS™ on the path to becoming the leading beef jerky in the country. Pip was unhappy that beef jerky used to be associated only with the unhealthy activity of beer drinking. So when she saw a gap in the market for quality beef jerky, her background in health and fitness fuelled a passion for producing traditional, tasty beef jerky and educating consumers about the health benefits of her product.

The JEEERKS™ range includes a variety of full flavoured, 100 per cent Australian made and owned beef jerky. Pip’s product is manufactured from lean cuts of topside Australian beef, stripped of all fat and combined with a range of knockout flavours, all made within a HACCP accredited facility. JEEERKS™ beef jerky is packed full of nutritional benefits, satisfying your hunger with high protein, low carb nutrition. For more information and orders, call JEEERKS™ on 1300 513 629, email info@jeeerks.com.au or write to them at PO Box 51 COOLANGATTA QLD 4225.

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