Chefs Cut Real Jerky
Chef's Cut Real Jerky is a premium U.S. jerky brand that sells marinated beef, chicken, turkey, snack sticks, and biltong direct-to-consumer via Shopify subscriptions and through wholesale distribution in convenience and grocery stores.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Chefs Cut Real Jerky does
Chef's Cut Real Jerky (legally RSJ Ventures dba Chef's Cut Real Jerky Co.) is a U.S. premium-jerky brand headquartered in Sonoma, California, operating as a portfolio company under Krave Pure Foods, Inc. The company was co-founded by Chef Blair and Dennis Riedel and manufactures marinated, real-meat jerky products including beef, chicken, and turkey varieties, snack sticks, and biltong. Production is outsourced to co-packers in Michigan and Illinois, with corporate contact points also listed in those states. The company markets itself on a chef-developed proprietary marination process designed to differentiate its products from commodity jerky on texture and flavor.
The business operates a dual-channel go-to-market. On the demand side, it sells direct-to-consumer through a Shopify storefront with a Skio-powered subscription program, supported by email marketing, social ads, and content partnerships (notably with The Grill Dads). On the supply side, it distributes wholesale into convenience and grocery banners including CVS. Pricing is positioned at the premium end of the category, with individual SKUs in the $21-$36 range, and the company has expanded its portfolio to address low-sugar and keto consumers via a Zero Sugar line.
The company has raised capital from Clearlake Capital Group (2015) and Sonoma Brands Capital (2020), with deal amounts undisclosed. Both investors are consumer-focused, suggesting strategic rather than purely financial capital. The broader U.S. meat snack / jerky market is reported at $6.34B in 2025 with a projected CAGR to $8.76B by 2030, providing a tailwind for the brand. Headcount is reported at 11-50 employees, consistent with a small, premium-positioned CPG brand operating in a competitive category.
Chefs Cut Real Jerky firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chefs Cut Real Jerky
- Legal name
- RSJ Ventures dba Chef's Cut Real Jerky Co.
- Website
- https://chefscutrealjerky.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Chef's Cut Real Jerky is a premium U.S. jerky brand that sells marinated beef, chicken, turkey, snack sticks, and biltong direct-to-consumer via Shopify subscriptions and through wholesale distribution in convenience and grocery stores.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chefs Cut Real Jerky industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Meat Snacks
- NAICS
- Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (424470), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)
- SIC
- Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Jerky & Meat Snacks (CRADABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Jerky & Meat Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAH), Shelf-Stable Processed Meats (Canned, Retort Pouches, Jerky/Meat Snacks) (AFANAEAJ)
Keywords
Where Chefs Cut Real Jerky is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Chefs Cut Real Jerky business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales (DTC): The company sells its products directly to consumers through its Shopify-powered e-commerce website at chefscutrealjerky.com. Products include beef jerky, turkey jerky, chicken jerky, biltong, and meat snack sticks in various flavors and bundle sizes. Prices range from approximately $21 to $35 per item.
- Subscription / Subscribe & Save: Monthly auto-ship subscription program offering 10% discount + free shipping on all monthly deliveries. Subscriptions auto-ship every 30 days with the ability to pause, swap, or cancel anytime. This provides predictable recurring revenue and customer lifetime value.
- Wholesale / B2B: The company sells to retail stores and potentially institutional buyers through a dedicated wholesale portal (wholesale.chefscutrealjerky.com). Products are available in physical retail locations such as CVS, with the company noting free standard shipping on orders over $30.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard single-purchase pricing across product categories |
| Subscription | Monthly | Subscribe & Save - Recurring monthly delivery with discount |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Chefs Cut Real Jerky product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chef's Cut Real Jerky manufactures and sells premium, chef-crafted beef jerky, chicken jerky, turkey jerky, meat snack sticks, and biltong made with hand-cut US-sourced meats and a proprietary slow-smoking process with real hardwoods. Products are positioned as high-protein, clean-label (nitrate-free, gluten-free, no MSG, no artificial preservatives) portable snacks and are sold direct-to-consumer via a Shopify e-commerce site with a Subscribe & Save subscription program, plus a wholesale portal and select physical retail distribution.
Product overview
Chef's Cut Real Jerky Co. is a premium jerky and meat snack company offering chef-crafted protein products. The portfolio consists of beef jerky (Original Recipe, Chipotle Cracked Pepper, Asian Style Teriyaki), chicken jerky (Honey Barbecue, Korean Barbecue), and turkey jerky (Teriyaki) as core jerky offerings. The company also produces snack sticks in various flavors (Original Smokehouse, Barbecue, Jalapeno, Turkey Pepperoni, Buffalo Style, Ghost Pepper), biltong products (Original and Spicy Chili), and bundles/packs for sampling. All products emphasize premium cuts, high protein content, gluten-free ingredients, and nitrite-free formulations. The company operates a subscription service (Subscribe & Save) offering recurring deliveries with discounts, and maintains both direct-to-consumer e-commerce and wholesale distribution channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Original Recipe Real Steak Jerky Flagship 2.5oz beef jerky made with premium top-round sirloin, marinated in soy sauce, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce, and slow-smoked to tender perfection. Targeted at consumers seeking premium, chef-crafted, high-protein portable snacks.
- Chipotle Cracked Pepper Real Steak Jerky Beef jerky combining chipotle chili, roasted jalapeños, and fresh cracked black pepper for an extra-spicy flavor profile, made from premium hand-cut sirloin.
- Asian Style Teriyaki Beef Jerky Beef jerky with a Pacific-influenced teriyaki flavor built from fresh pineapple, ginger, and green tea extract, slow-smoked from premium sirloin.
- Turkey Teriyaki Jerky Turkey jerky made from lean, all-white turkey breast slow-smoked in a specially blended teriyaki sauce, positioned as a healthy low-fat protein snack.
- Honey Barbecue Chicken Jerky Chicken jerky made with 100% all-white chicken breast coated in a blend of spices, honey, and molasses for a sweet and smoky BBQ flavor.
- Korean Barbecue Chicken Jerky Chicken jerky featuring Korean-inspired flavors with a rich and smoky blend of classic Korean flavors and a sriracha kick, slow-smoked from all-white chicken breast.
- Original Smokehouse Real Snack Sticks Protein-packed snack sticks made with a blend of steak and pork, marinated with garlic, pepper, brown sugar, and a hint of mustard; available in 12ct and 24ct pack sizes for portable, on-the-go snacking.
- Barbecue Real Snack Sticks Snack sticks crafted from real cuts of chicken combined with the brand's secret-recipe BBQ sauce, delivering portable protein in a barbecue flavor profile.
- Jalapeño Real Snack Sticks Spicy snack sticks made with real jalapeño flakes and a blend of premium cuts of pork and steak, designed for portable on-the-go consumption.
- Turkey Pepperoni Sticks Turkey-based pepperoni sticks positioned as a guilt-free pepperoni option with 9g of protein and only 60 calories per serving, designed to fit diet plans.
- Buffalo Style Snack Sticks Snack sticks featuring cayenne red peppers, sea salt, and garlic powder, creating a portable version of buffalo wings with a hot/spicy flavor profile.
- Ghost Pepper Snack Sticks Spiciest snack stick option made with ghost peppers, marketed as extremely hot and intended for consumers seeking a high-heat portable protein snack.
- Original Biltong Air-dried beef snack made with 7 simple ingredients including USA-sourced beef, vinegar, salt, spices, rosemary, mushroom powder, and cultured celery powder; contains 26g protein per bag.
- Spicy Chili Biltong Biltong variant with a light kick of spice featuring a chef-crafted blend of spices, designed to let the meat flavors come through.
- Steaks Bundle A bundle offering multiple steak jerky varieties at a single price point, allowing customers to sample or stock multiple flavors.
- Chef's Sample Pack A variety pack allowing customers to sample multiple flavors of the company's jerky products in a single purchase.
- Poultry Pack A variety pack featuring poultry-based jerky products, including turkey and chicken options.
- Subscribe & Save Program Monthly auto-ship subscription program offering 10% off plus free shipping on all monthly deliveries, with auto-ship every 30 days and the ability to pause, swap, or cancel anytime at no charge.
Quantifiable outcome
- Jerky products contain 10g+ protein per serving; Biltong contains 26g protein per bag; Meat sticks contain 7g+ per stick.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Chefs Cut Real Jerky
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Chefs Cut Real Jerky technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Chefs Cut Real Jerky partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- The Grill Dads (Mark Anderson and Ryan Fey)coreChef's Cut collaborated with The Grill Dads (Mark Anderson and Ryan Fey) on the 'Jerky 101' video series — a 6-episode educational/entertainment series covering premium meat cuts, ingredients, jerky production, biltong, meat sticks, and protein breakdowns. The Grill Dads are Food Network personalities who won Guy Fieri's 'Big Project' competition and have their own Food Network series. The collaboration is designed to 'edu-tain' consumers about meat snacks in a cluttered digital space.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chefs Cut Real Jerky competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- KRAVE Jerky (Krave Pure Foods): Premium gourmet jerky brand owned by Krave Pure Foods — the parent company of Chef's Cut. Sells beef, turkey, chicken, and pork jerky with clean ingredients, DTC, and major retail presence. Directly comparable as a sibling/competing premium jerky brand under the same parent.
- Wild Bill's Beef Jerky: Smokehouse-style beef jerky brand focused on real hardwood smoking and bold flavors. Comparable to Chef's Cut in core product format, smoking-based differentiation, and convenience-store retail presence.
- Chomps: Premium meat snack stick brand emphasizing clean-label, high-protein, Whole30/Paleo/Keto-friendly positioning with a strong DTC and subscription motion. Directly comparable to Chef's Cut on target consumer (health-conscious), product format (sticks/jerky), and GTM (DTC + retail).
- Old Trapper: Smoked beef jerky and meat snacks brand with strong convenience-store and mass-retail distribution. Comparable to Chef's Cut in core category (smoked jerky) and emphasis on smoking process as a quality differentiator, though typically priced at mainstream levels.
- Country Archer Provisions: Premium grass-fed beef jerky, turkey jerky, and meat stick brand with DTC e-commerce and national retail (Whole Foods, Kroger, Costco). Closely comparable to Chef's Cut on premium clean-label beef jerky, protein-forward positioning, and multi-channel distribution.
- Duke's Meat Snacks: Premium meat stick brand with flavors ranging from mild to extremely spicy and emphasis on protein-forward snacking. Closely comparable to Chef's Cut on snack-stick format, spicy flavor extensions (Ghost Pepper, Jalapeño), and convenience/retail distribution.
- Tillamook Country Smoker: Oregon-based maker of beef jerky and meat sticks with strong Pacific Northwest convenience-store and national retail presence. Comparable to Chef's Cut in smoked meat snacks category and emphasis on real-wood smoking process.
- Think Jerky: Grass-fed beef jerky brand positioning on natural, high-protein snacking with retail and DTC presence. Comparable to Chef's Cut on premium, clean-ingredient jerky positioning and target active/health-conscious consumer.
Broad incumbents
- Jack Link's: Largest US jerky brand (owned by Link Snacks) selling beef jerky, meat sticks, and protein snacks across mass retail, convenience, and DTC. Directly comparable to Chef's Cut as a jerky/meat snack brand but with vastly larger scale, broader SKU range, and national shelf dominance.
Emerging players
- Field Trip Snacks: Emerging premium meat snack brand offering jerky, sticks, and biltong with clean-ingredient positioning and DTC emphasis. Comparable to Chef's Cut as a smaller, premium-positioned competitor in the better-for-you meat snack category with overlapping product formats including biltong.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chefs Cut Real Jerky social profiles
Digital presenceChefs Cut Real Jerky financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chefs Cut Real Jerky leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Chefs Cut Real Jerky funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chefs Cut Real Jerky M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chefs Cut Real Jerky
What does Chefs Cut Real Jerky do?
Chef's Cut Real Jerky manufactures and sells premium, chef-crafted beef jerky, chicken jerky, turkey jerky, meat snack sticks, and biltong made with hand-cut US-sourced meats and a proprietary slow-smoking process with real hardwoods. Products are positioned as high-protein, clean-label (nitrate-free, gluten-free, no MSG, no artificial preservatives) portable snacks and are sold direct-to-consumer via a Shopify e-commerce site with a Subscribe & Save subscription program, plus a wholesale portal and select physical retail distribution.
Is Chefs Cut Real Jerky a public or private company?
Chefs Cut Real Jerky is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Chefs Cut Real Jerky founded?
Chefs Cut Real Jerky was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Chefs Cut Real Jerky based?
Chefs Cut Real Jerky is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chefs Cut Real Jerky make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales (DTC) is the primary driver. The others are subscription / Subscribe & Save and wholesale / B2B.
Who are Chefs Cut Real Jerky's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are KRAVE Jerky (Krave Pure Foods), Wild Bill's Beef Jerky, Chomps, Old Trapper, Country Archer Provisions, Duke's Meat Snacks, Tillamook Country Smoker and Think Jerky. Jack Link's is listed as a broad incumbent. Field Trip Snacks is listed as an emerging player.
Does Chefs Cut Real Jerky have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chefs Cut Real Jerky.
What industry is Chefs Cut Real Jerky in?
Chefs Cut Real Jerky's product category is Premium Meat Snacks. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADABAK, Jerky & Meat Snacks, with a secondary code of AFAKAIAH, Jerky & Meat Snacks Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 424470 and its SIC code is 2013.