‘King of Snacks’ UK title for South African flavours from local duo

The award-winning snacks from Ke Nako – Africaans for it is time - are three flavours of Biltong, cured and air dried beef strips, and Droewors, a coiled and spicy beef sausage. The Co Antrim company cleaned up in the Snacks category in the national competition for cured meats organised in conjunction with the influential UK Charcuterie Board.

The board, which is based in Exeter, promotes collaboration, networking, learning and marketing for the entire cured meat sector in the UK. It is primarily producer led, but provides a unique forum for supply side businesses, food safety consultants, buyers, retailers, training schools, statutory bodies and consumers to all network, discuss, promote themselves and do business together in one place.

In addition to the top award in the competition for its classic biltong, the entrepreneurial business collected all the other awards in the category for its chilli biltong, garlic biltong and droewors which are widely enjoyed in South Africa especially at barbeques.

The company also produces a unique biltong powder as well as other cured meats including chorizo and salami. Ilse and Alanagh cut, dry-cure and produce the tasty and spicy beef snacks, sausages and other cured meats on Ballylagan Organic Farm, near Ballyclare, using premium meat sourced from the farm and other local suppliers for customers here, in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Ilse, a butcher and chef originally from in Pretoria, one of South Africa’s three capital cities, says: “‘We were delighted to have received this important recognition for our biltong and other meats in a competition which could be very helpful as we seek to grow our business in Britain. It’s becoming a very important market for us.

“Profile and endorsements there are great because they increase awareness of our novel products among consumers.

“The latest awards follow other successes in Britain which include UK Great Taste Awards for the quality and outstanding flavours of air-dried meats and winning the Top of the Shop competition on BBC TV hosted by celebrity chef Tom Kerridge in 2018. This attracted a substantial audience and gave us a tremendous opportunity to introduce our products,” Ilse adds. “We gained a lot of business contacts from the TV show.”

The biltong and droewors have all been developed by Ilse using family recipes from her homeland. She works as the farm’s butcher and is responsible for providing cuts for its popular farm shop. Alanagh, an animal biology lecturer, also plays a key role in marketing the business and its portfolio of premium products.

The couple met during a women’s rugby tour of South Africa by Cooke Rugby Club in Belfast, Alanagh’s team, in 2011. Ilse subsequently joined her in Belfast and both went on to represent Ireland and Ulster as prop forwards.

They also decided to set up in business together and launched Ke Nako Biltong the following year and to introduce South African-styled beef products to consumers here initially by taking part in food and farmers’ markets.

Together they have created a unique biltong recipe using organic beef, brisket and silverside, that’s cured in organic red wine vinegar with a rich blend of spices from salt, black pepper, coriander seeds, nutmeg, and cloves before being air-dried in dedicated premises on the farm.

Ke Nako has since won respect throughout the UK and Ireland for the biltong products as healthier snacks rich in minerals such as zinc, iron, magnesium and vitamin B-12, all essential for the body to function.

Ilse saw the opportunity for South African style meats soon after her move here. “I looked at the local food industry and spotted a gap for authentic biltong and other cured meats from South Africa. Interest in cured beef products especially for charcuterie boards with chorizo and salami has been growing steadily in Northern Ireland as shoppers seek out different and healthy meat products,” she adds.

The decision was also influenced by Northern Ireland’s excellent beef industry, mostly grass-fed animals, and the growing interest in organic foods.

“Biltong has long been popular in South Africa as a snack in particular because it’s rich in proteins and especially popular with rugby players and other sports people as an aid to recovery after training and games,” Ilse explains. “This is because it’s an excellent source of vital minerals and vitamins.

“And since biltong is cured and not cooked, it retains more of the nutrients than cooked meat as the cooking process can break some of these down. Biltong is also wheat and gluten free,” she explains.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you