Biltong Direct

What Biltong Direct does

Biltong Direct is a UK-based, founder-owned specialty food manufacturer and retailer that produces and sells authentic South African air-dried meat products, groceries, and braai equipment. Founded in 2004 by Derick and Rose Peacock, the company operates its manufacturing facility and a retail shop at Basildon, Essex, alongside a second retail shop opened in Chelmsford in 2014. Its product portfolio spans core meat categories — biltong (Original, Trekkers, Peri Peri), droëwors, snap sticks, boerewors in 10+ varieties, and fresh braai meats — plus a broader catalogue of over 300 South African grocery items, gift cards, hampers, and braai accessories.

The company's core technology is grounded in traditional South African air-drying and curing methods rather than software or automation. Proprietary spice blends are produced in-house using ingredients imported from Freddy Hirsch in South Africa, refined over two decades of production. Gluten-free and MSG-free variants are available for health-conscious consumers. E-commerce operations run on Shopify with integrations including Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, and Judge.me reviews.

Biltong Direct earns revenue through a hybrid model combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce with nationwide UK delivery (free above £50), two physical retail locations with click-and-collect, a phone-based wholesale channel for bulk buyers, and a monthly subscription service offering 5% recurring savings. Primary customers are South African expatriates in the UK and EU seeking authentic home products, with secondary segments including British foodies, fitness-focused high-protein snackers, and gluten-free consumers. Pricing is per-unit (biltong 50g from £3.90 to 500g at £29.28), with gift cards and bundles supporting gifting use cases.

Name

Biltong Direct

Legal name

Biltong Direct

Website

https://biltongdirect.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Biltong Direct is a UK-based, family-owned manufacturer and retailer of authentic South African air-dried meat products (biltong, droëwors, boerewors), groceries, and braai gear, serving UK customers and South African expatriates via e-commerce, two retail shops, and subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Meat Snacks and South African Foods

NAICS

Meat Retailers (445240)

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)

akta.pro primary industry

Butcher Shops & Meat Markets (CRAHAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

African Grocery Stores (CRAHAFAH)

Keywords

• Air-dried beef biltong
• South African specialty foods
• Droewors boerewors sausage
• High-protein meat snacks
• Specialty grocery retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Basildon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Online sales through biltongdirect.co.uk with home delivery across UK mainland. Orders over £50 qualify for free delivery.
2. Retail Store Sales: In-store purchases at Basildon and Chelmsford physical locations, including click-and-collect for online orders.
3. Wholesale Bulk Sales: Bulk orders at discounted prices for trade customers, managed via phone inquiries with Derick.
4. Subscription Service: Monthly subscription orders offering 5% savings, providing recurring revenue from dedicated customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Biltong Direct manufactures and retails authentic South African-style air-dried beef biltong, droëwors, and boerewors from its in-house Basildon factory, selling direct to UK consumers through an online store and two retail shops. The product range extends to snap sticks, beef crisps, chews, fresh braai meats, gift cards, hampers, and 300+ South African grocery items. Distribution combines nationwide UK e-commerce delivery with click-and-collect and a wholesale bulk trade channel.

Product overview

Biltong Direct is a UK-based specialty food retailer and manufacturer specializing in authentic South African products, with its core offerings being premium air-dried beef biltong (Original, Trekkers, Peri Peri varieties), traditional droëwors air-dried sausages, and boerewors braai sausages (10+ varieties). The company operates as a manufacturer, producing all meat products in-house at their Basildon factory using their own spice blends developed over 20 years. The product portfolio extends beyond core meat products to include snap sticks, chews, beef crisps (wieletjies), fresh steaks and meats, South African groceries (300+ products including biscuits, sauces, drinks), braai equipment, gift cards, and hampers. The company operates physical retail locations in Basildon and Chelmsford alongside their e-commerce platform, offering subscription options for regular deliveries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Biltong (Original, Trekkers, Peri Peri) Premium South African air-dried beef biltong in Original, Trekkers, and Peri Peri varieties, made with prime beef and in-house spice blends. Targeted at consumers seeking authentic, high-protein snacks (49g protein per 100g, zero carbohydrates).
• Droëwors Authentic South African air-dried beef sausage in Traditional, Garlic, and Chilli flavors. Signature product made with carefully balanced fat content and the company's proprietary spice blend.
• Snap Sticks / Stokkies Thinly hand-sliced silverside of beef marinated with authentic spices and air-dried to a crispy texture. Available in Original and Chilli flavors, gluten-free certified.
• Boerewors Sausages Traditional South African braai sausage in 10+ varieties including Traditional, Garlic, Chilli, Chakalaka, Kaaswors, Ouma's, Pork-Free, Sosatie MiniWors, and Gluten-Free options. Sold as coils for barbecue use.
• Pork Products South African pork favorites including BBQ marinated pork loin ribs in 500g and 700g sizes, and crispy pork scratchings.
• Chews & Snack Packs Air-cured beef biltong cut into pencil-thick lengths in Original, Trekkers, and Peri Peri flavors, with Snack Packs combining biltong and droewors varieties.
• Biltong Sprinkles Ground biltong powder in Fine and Coarse varieties, made from pure meat with no waste shavings, for use as a pizza topping, salad garnish, or pasta ingredient.
• Beef Crisps (Wieletjies) Crispy round beef chips made from traditional droewors, available plain or with Sweet Chutney, Chilli Chutney, or BBQ seasoning.
• Steak & Other Meat Fresh meat products including marinated Texan rump steaks, lamb loin chops, oxtail, beef shin, lamb sosaties, XL Cheese Grillers, Jalapeno Cheese Grillers, and premium braai packs.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards in £10, £25, £50, and £100 denominations, allowing recipients to choose from the full product range.
• South African Groceries Range of over 300 South African grocery products spanning biscuits and rusks (Bakers), canned foods, atchars and dressings, dried fruit and puddings, hot and cold drinks (Oros squash), porridge and cereals (Iwisa maize meal), sauces and chutneys, seasonings and spices, snacks and sweets, jams and spreads.
• Hampers & Special Gifts Pre-configured gift hampers featuring combinations of biltong, droewors, snap sticks, and South African snacks for gifting.
• Braai Gear Braai equipment and accessories including Kameeldoring braai wood in 10kg bags, known for minimal flame, musky aromatic fragrance, and long burn time.
• Featured Product Bundles Curated bundles including Protein Power Selection (high-protein snacks for gym-goers) and Taster Selection (variety packs for sampling different products).
• In-Store Only Fresh Products Fresh products available only at physical stores including Buffalo Wings (Portuguese Peri Peri), Chicken Flatties (Lemon & Herb, Portuguese Peri Peri, Sosatie), and Chicken Thighs in various flavors.
• Monthly Subscription Boxes Monthly recurring order subscription offering 5% savings on Protein Power Pack and similar bundles, providing recurring delivery for regular customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 49g protein per 100g biltong with zero carbohydrates
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kalahari Biltong: UK online retailer of South African-style biltong and droewors. Direct competitor with overlapping product mix (air-dried meat snacks), D2C channel, and SA-expat customer focus.
• Real Biltong: UK-based direct-to-consumer biltong brand selling air-dried South African-style biltong online. Closest direct competitor to Biltong Direct in product, target customer (SA expatriate / health-snacker), and online distribution model.
• British Biltong Co. UK manufacturer and online retailer of craft biltong using British beef and traditional air-drying methods. Direct overlap in product format (air-dried biltong), D2C channel, and positioning around high-protein/low-carb snacking.
• South African Biltong Co. UK specialist retailer focused on authentic South African biltong and related meat products. Overlaps directly on product category, customer segment (UK-based SA community), and online retail motion.
• Mountain Man's Biltong: UK-based small-batch biltong producer selling premium air-dried beef biltong online. Comparable in scale (small artisan producer), product range, and target customer (SA diaspora and protein-snack buyers).

Others

• Cape Herb & Spice: South African spice brand with UK presence, supplying rubs and seasonings used in biltong and braai. Adjacent ecosystem player rather than direct competitor; relevant because Biltong Direct uses similar South African-origin ingredients (e.g. Freddy Hirsch spices).

Regional players

• Firefly Biltong: South African-origin biltong brand with UK distribution. Comparable product format and authentic SA positioning but primarily serves the South African market and exports rather than operating a UK retail/wholesale footprint like Biltong Direct.

Broad incumbents

• Trailhead Jerky: UK-based premium jerky brand positioned around outdoor/active lifestyles. Competes with Biltong Direct for the gym/outdoor high-protein snack segment but in the cooked-jerky category rather than air-dried biltong.
• Wild West Jerky: UK beef jerky manufacturer and online retailer offering a broader range of dried/cured meat snacks. Adjacent rather than direct (jerky vs. biltong), but competes for the same high-protein-snack UK consumer wallet share.

Emerging players

• Primal Snack Box: UK subscription snack box focused on high-protein, paleo-friendly snacks. Adjacent go-to-market model (subscription + protein-snack positioning) and overlapping end consumer, though product mix is broader than biltong-only.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/biltongdirect
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biltong-direct

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Biltong Direct