PTC*

Jings! Crivvens! Help ma Boab!

4  02 2009

Scottish Jerky

Last week I got invited along to the Scottish Speciality trade fair at the SECC to meet Brian Wilson, the man behind Scottish Jerky. Bobinson and Craig came along and we had a fine time wandering the isles while Brian was busy, everything from the finest Scottish fare to the tackiest tartan kiltie could be found if you looked.
The food hall was a wonder, rows of exhibitors with displays of wares to delight kitchen and rucksack alike.

We spotted that Brian was free and descended upon him. He had plates out with samples of all his flavours and any pretence of social etiquette went oot the windae as we snacked heartily and got the inside story.

Brian first tasted beef jerky on a road trip across Canada where it was sold from jars and handed over in a brown paper bag. He described (with the three of us nodding) the inescapable desire to stop for more once the bag was empty. He’d got it bad.
When he came home to North East Scotland he could only find some of the wee bags familiar to us in the american shop in Aberdeen and was frustrated at its rubbery saltiness compared to the fresh stuff he had tasted ocross the Atlantic. Such was his desire for quality savoury munchies that he soon formed a plan.
He did some market research, asking a friend “If I made jerky would you eat it?”, “I don’t know, what is it?” came the reply. Bouyed by this positve reaction he launched himself into nine long months of experimentation with process and flavouring until he walked out of his self induced beef armageddon with a product that he could be proud of, and more importantly pockets full of tasty jerky.
That was back in 2002 and since then then he has expanded his range of flavours and introduced venison jerky, also in various flavours.

It takes two whole days to prepare the meat, which is done from scratch, cutting the strips from the big chunk of coo, marinading and drying. Each flavour is done to personal taste not to generic marketplace expectation, and I think it shows. The jerky is much finer than the petrol station and supermarket packets, it melts in your mouth and the flavours are subtle and tasty. It has to be the most moreish snack on the planet. I carry jerky in my pack every trip and this is the best I’ve tried.
The nutritional value was discussed at length by Brian and Craig who know far more about such things than I (indeed the Scottish Jerky website has the info), but the message was clear; natural, no crap added and good for you. That’s enough for me.

And, you can try too. The first couple of comments that get posted with something amusing about beef in them get a packet of Scotlands finest, courtesy of www.scottishjerky.com


Items Various, Kit Reviews

38 Responses to “Scottish Jerky”

  1. shuttleworth, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 09:13


    I’ll buy some of the deer based product venison sale in my area. Geddit, Geddit? Venison, When its on …… Oh, stop Beefing….

  2. PTC*, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 09:23


    Yes, yes, the meat shall be yours. Send me your address.

  3. Chris H, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 09:31


    What do you call a cow with a twitch?

    “Beef Jerky”

  4. PTC*, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 09:33


    It’s too early for this stuff…
    Right, send me your address, the meat shall be yours also!

  5. bobinson, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 10:08


    What can you say ! you did ask

  6. PTC*, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 10:31


    Don’t you try anything funny, you’ll have had yer tea.

  7. moggy, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 11:31


    i think ill have to try that as long as its not too deer!

    …ill get my coat!

  8. mattc, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 11:34


    If there’s a packet left? Thanks very mooooo…ch.

    Dreadful, I know! :)

  9. bobinson, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 11:39


    Perfect for eating on holiday when you have the wee calf !
    (PTC might jave to translate for south of the border !)

  10. Bigbananafeet, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 12:10


    Of course as I’d like a pack jerky I thought I’d tell my most a-mooo-sing coo joke but Bobinson’s refered to it already. I’ll tell the udder one instead.

    What do you call a cow with two legs?

    Lean meat! ;o)

  11. Kev, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 12:28


    Nobody in Fife sells it. That’s bulls**t!

    Do I win?

    :o)

  12. bobinson, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 13:28


    EVERY BODY SING !

    Doe a deer
    An air dried jerkied deer

    Put it in a pocket with my gear !

  13. holdfast, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 14:49


    What do you call a blind deer?

    No eye deer.

    What do you call a dead blind deer?

    Still no eye deer.

    Roe deer me, that was appalling.

  14. Das, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 15:20


    Ah, reminds me of my favourite Christmas card, there’s a rather amusing cartoon of two deer doing it doggy style and the caption underneath simply read:
    “Christmas – it’s just two f**king deer!”

  15. Metric Kate, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 15:40


    Any chance of some jerky to chew whilst wandering over the *ungulating* countryside?

  16. Bigbananafeet, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 17:37


    did you hear about the cow who just gave birth?……….decaffeinated!

  17. Chris H, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 20:35


    Those jokes got better as the day went on……

  18. PTC*, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 20:47


    Photobucket

  19. Metric Kate, Said:
    on February 4th, 2009 at 20:51


    You in a bad moo-d then, ptc?

  20. PTC*, Said:
    on February 5th, 2009 at 00:28


    Help ma boab!

  21. moggy, Said:
    on February 5th, 2009 at 08:58


    howay fella, stop milking it!

  22. crabduck, Said:
    on February 5th, 2009 at 11:17


    Most amoosing

  23. scotpat, Said:
    on February 5th, 2009 at 11:56


    Very good , I think you all deserve a big pat on the back.

  24. crabduck, Said:
    on February 5th, 2009 at 12:45


    I’ve no beef with cow jokes, just a good one is very rare.

  25. PTC*, Said:
    on February 5th, 2009 at 23:14


    Bless youse all :o)

  26. beth, Said:
    on February 8th, 2009 at 10:59


    I saw this a couple of days ago and I’m still wandering what it’s all about. It just seems to me to be yet another snack and a seemingly very expensive one. More so than even Honey Stinger bars, with similar amounts of protein, but lighter…. Is that it?

  27. andy, Said:
    on February 8th, 2009 at 11:58


    Well, Beth, they’re very thin slices of dried meat (wild venison or beef) which pack a huge punch of protein. You just munch away at a couple of strips and it’s like having had a big sarnie. It looks expensive but a packet goes a long way on the hill. And in the summer it means you can take along non-perishable meat provisions that weigh very little. That’s what it is all about, I suppose, a good addition to lightweight backpacking.

  28. PTC*, Said:
    on February 8th, 2009 at 13:44


    Aye, what Andy said.

    It’s just so much better than the traditional sugary horror that we’re supposed to carry.
    Taste, texture and nutrition, that fact that it’s hand made all adds up to a superior and more expensive product.

    Is it worth it? I’m afraid so, yes. As a snack or as something stirred into your dinner at camp it’s a winner.

  29. Bigbananafeet, Said:
    on February 8th, 2009 at 16:06


    A couple of strips chucked in with cous cous makes for a lightweight, filling and tasty dinner. Plenty of carbs and protein.

  30. PTC*, Said:
    on February 8th, 2009 at 16:12


    I nearly put some in my soup mere moments ago.

    Soup, good for a cold :o)

  31. Bigbananafeet, Said:
    on February 8th, 2009 at 16:22


    I’m just back from Ayr beach with the dugs there the now, and had nice bowl of homemade lentil soup.

    Jerky would’ve been a nice addition me thinks. You cant have much longer left of this cold eh?

  32. PTC*, Said:
    on February 8th, 2009 at 16:31


    This is a new one, Holly gave me it just this week.
    It’s only for a day or two, it’s disapppointingly lacklustre this one :o)

  33. Bigbananafeet, Said:
    on February 8th, 2009 at 16:40


    Ach well, you’ll be out next week then I imagine :o)

  34. PTC*, Said:
    on February 8th, 2009 at 16:56


    If the meeting goes well tomorrow morningnd I feel better, I’ll be at 900m by tea time.

    It’s these fantasies that keep me going…

  35. beth, Said:
    on February 9th, 2009 at 11:13


    Interesting. If I find some on my travels I’ll try it. I’d be more inclined tho to have a chunk of dried sausage, something like sauscisson sec/etc.

  36. PTC*, Said:
    on February 9th, 2009 at 12:28


    That’s the joy of jerky, it is what it is. A sausage is a gamble unless you can vouch for its source and you waht’s in it.
    I like the idea of cutting slices off of a sausage while sitting ouside the tent watching the sun go down.
    Must investigate the options…

  37. TheKiltedSkier, Said:
    on February 9th, 2009 at 14:34


    Was down at the new showroom a couple of weeks ago and stayed at The Eagle and Child in Staveley. Had their Celebration Sausage – a mix of Cumberland sausage and Stornaoway Black Pudding on mash – it was utterly, utterly gorgeous.

    Joe from Engebrets in Stornoway was in the shed last week and brought me a 2 foot Stornoway Black Pudding – now that’s how to negotiate for discount!

  38. bobinson, Said:
    on February 9th, 2009 at 15:35


    So what you are saying is if you have a 2 foot sausage you get a discount on Haglofs ! DAM MOTHER NATURE !

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