2019 has seen a radical shift towards meatlessness — here in the Forward Fooding journalism department, we’ve covered Sainsbury’s introduction of the world’s first beef free butcher, and questioned whether meat truly is a dead industry? Currently, the Western consensus is edging towards yes; there’s a beef with red meat especially, but is there any truth behind it? A great article by Locke Hughes summarised the situation well: the bottom line on meat, is that it’s up to you.

While the media may demonise beef, the reality is that beef contains a great source of nutrients, including B vitamins, iron, and zinc. Vitamin B12 is required for the proper functioning of just about every system in your body, while energy-boosting iron provides oxygen to the blood and aids in metabolism. And of course, there’s the massive amount of protein packed into every steak, every burger, every meatball, a macronutrient that helps to build muscle, keep you full, and regulate metabolism. Beef is, and continues to be, a natural product; while presented as something unnatural, the reality is that humans have been eating meat since before they ate avocado toast, a fact the media seems to ignore.

There is, of course, the environmental and moral issue. If you look up how far an average steak travels from field to fork, it’s a whopping 4,403 miles. We’ve also all seen the heartbreaking Facebook videos, Netflix documentaries, and protest signs, depicting mother cows crying for their calves. For all intensive purposes, it seems that beef may be off limits…but what if there was a way to gain the health benefits of beef, make sure you’re only eating long-lived, happy cows, and cut out the food miles?

We’re here to introduce you to HungTen Biltong, a company reclaiming moral beef for the market.

Hi HungTen team! So could you explain to us what Biltong is?

Biltong originated in South Africa; it’s is an air-dried beef snack, that is sliced and marinated in herbs and spices, before being hung to air dry. The art of drying meat for preservation and future consumption is as ancient as humanity itself, but we’ve modernised the process.

What makes your biltong so different to the usual market?

We’re based in Scotland, and we only use retired Scottish dairy cows. They’re always mature cows — not only does that gives us a uniquely rich flavour, but it means these cows have had a long, happy life.

So why did you decide to make biltong?

We’re a mother-and-son run company — we spent most of our lives in South Africa, where my in-laws have a dairy farm. We’ve grown up eating biltong, so there’s a cultural element to our brand too. I was catering for an event once, selling an entirely different product, but as everyone knew I was South African, they asked me to bring along some biltong. I couldn’t believe the positive feedback we got, and I decided then and there to focus on delivering this simple product to market.

What are the health benefits of your biltong?

Protein is becoming increasingly important to the consumer; biltong is packed with up to 67% pure protein, and the body is able to digest and use 94% of what’s in biltong. A lot of people don’t realise that a lot of these ‘high-protein’ snacks aren’t necessarily easily digested, but biltong is. Whether you want a healthy snack, a post-workout snack, or just something delicious, biltong is that and more for the consumer.

How has the journey been towards production?

It’s been an exciting, but a steep, learning curve. I never realised I’d have to wear so many hats within the business, but it’s been incredible. I’m really excited for the future of HungTen, and can’t wait to share that with everyone!

If you’re in Glasgow, you can meet biltong expert Margaret in person this Thursday — check out tickets for her ‘Meat and Greet’ event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meat-greet-tickets-68810154023?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete

If you’d like to see what connections Forward Fooding could offer your start-up, feel free to get in touch with us at info@forwardfooding.com! You can also add your company to our FMCG trends section on our platform to get free visibility within our corporate and investors’ network here.

Forward Fooding is the world’s first collaborative platform for FoodTech Data Intelligence and Corporate Startup Collaboration. If you enjoyed this article, follow, clap or share and join us in our Food Revolution at ForwardFooding.com

This article has been written by Mathilde Redshaw