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Teesdale couple spice up British beef

When Glenn and Terri Crookes emigrated from South Africa to Britain, there was one thing they looked for to remind them of their native land: biltong.

A cured meat snack that is to South Africans what beef jerky is to Americans, biltong dates back to the early days of Dutch settlers in southern Africa. And just as exiled Geordies might feel nostalgic for Newcastle Brown or a ham-and-pease-pudding stottie, so ex-pat South Africans around the world hanker for authentic biltong.

“The thing we missed most from South Africa, apart from the fabulous weather, was good old homemade biltong,” said Glenn, a fireman with the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service. “After sampling everything that resembled biltong from London to Scotland, we resigned ourselves to the fact that if we were ever to experience the delicious taste of biltong again we would have to bring out the secret family recipe book.”

Alongside their nostalgic taste longings, there was a more serious reason the Crookes’ wanted to get their hands on a regular supply of quality biltong.

At age 12 their youngest daughter was diagnosed with chronic anaemia, brought about by a deficiency of iron in her diet. Months later, Terri and their oldest daughter were also diagnosed with the condition, but all attempts at getting the family to keep up their daily intake of iron tablets proved unsuccessful. “Even our most creative bribes or threats were met with failure,” laughed Terri.

Glenn and Terri decided to try a completely different approach, introducing iron into their diet in the tastiest way they could think of… by making biltong, the girl’s favourite South African snack. Glenn got to work and cracked open the family’s secret recipe book. A few days after the spices arrived, Glenn produced his first batch of this tasty treat and the rest is history. “All I can say is iron deficiency and anaemia are no longer problems in this family,” said Glenn with a proud smile.

It wasn’t long before word began to spread throughout the dale about an exotic taste that rocked their friends and colleagues taste buds. Recognising the need for a snack that was not only delicious but healthy too, Glenn and Terri decided to set up The Biltong Man, which is now a blossoming food business based in their hometown of Wolsingham, County Durham.

The Biltong Man took almost 18 months to set up but with help from the local enterprise agency, Love Food Project North East, the North Pennines Dales Leader programme and the North East England Investment Centre, they now produce three flavours of biltong sold at pubs, gyms and farmers’ markets and which local consumers can now buy online through their website.

Using meats from local farms in Weardale, Glenn and Terri produce what they describe as “the British beef snack with South African soul”. Cuts of locally sourced silverside beef are infused with a range of carefully balanced spices – including salt, pepper, coriander, chilli, garlic and cloves - in a recipe that has been in Glenn’s family for generations.

The family came to the UK 12 years ago from KwaZulu Natal in South Africa so that Terri, who was born in South Shields but lived in South Africa since childhood, could be nearer to her family.

Despite settling thousands of miles away from his roots, establishing The Biltong Man has reconnected Glenn with his family’s past. His ancestors have farmed in Southern Africa since the 19th century and he grew up on beef and sugar cane farms in Swaziland, Malawi and later the KawZulu Natal province of South Africa.

Biltong also has deep roots in that culture, deriving from the 18th century Dutch words bil, meaning rump, and tong, meaning strips. When Dutch settlers arrived in South Africa, the hot climate made it important for them to find a way of storing meat. The resourceful “Voortrekkers” learned that coating strips of beef with salt and coriander and hanging it out to dry led to it becoming hard on the outside while capturing rich flavours on the inside. That process not only helped the meat last for months but also created a new eating experience with intensified flavour and texture.

Glenn and Terri’s biltong – which comes in traditional, spicy and peri-peri flavours – differs slightly from the traditional South African recipe by reducing the fat on the product in an effort to make it even healthier. Because of its high levels of iron, protein and creatine, a nutrient that helps to supply energy to cells in the body, many of Glenn and Terri’s most loyal customers are sportspeople, gyms and health clubs.

Respecting the beef is also one of the company’s catchphrases; an ethos which means a lot to Glenn and Terri.

Glenn said: “We pride ourselves on using the best cuts of British Beef sourced locally. They not only share our passion for quality but it means fewer food miles too. But in order to retain the authentic taste of our Biltong we import the spices from our homeland.”

“We’ve had many ups and downs on this journey,” said Glenn, “but thanks to the incredible support of so many people and organisations, our determination, hard work and passion for bringing some South African soul to the UK food market, has germinated a tribal nation of loyal biltong fans in the UK.”

The biltong is available through The Biltong Man website www.thebiltongman.co.uk. Further information can be found through sales@thebiltongman.co.uk or on 01388-528759.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by The Biltong Man .