Who Began the Beef Jerkey Outlets
Years spent making smallgoods at home for family and friends is paying off for Mike and Cindy Epp.
Two years ago the Robe-based couple, who are originally from Canada, decided it was "now or never" to turn this interest into a business.
They began deli-style wrapping their wood-smoked jerky and selling it at farmers markets but soon outgrew this.
The next step was to build a production facility and shopfront, which opened in May last year.
Seven months on, Mike's Beef Jerky has more than 250 stockists across SA, including Foodland, Drakes Supermarkets, IGA, Cellarbrations, Tony & Marks, X Convenience and Australian Venue Corp, as well as numerous regional stockists, keen to support South Australian product.
It is sold in 90 gram packs with three flavours - original, black pepper and chilli.
Mike says they have been "overwhelmingly pleased" with the strong sales, now using 2.5 tonnes of beef a month.
"We were confident it would be well accepted, it was a matter of whether at our stage of life we wanted to take on on such a scale undertaking," he said.
The origin of beef jerky dates back centuries ago, to the indigenous South Americans who hung and air dried their meat as a means of preserving a staple food.
In recent times it has become a popular lean, high protein, healthy snack for many.
"It doesn't matter if you go to a grocery store, your bottle shop, your pub, your local servo, there is beef jerky there," Mike said.
"Folks may use it on a cheese platter or the farmer may have it on the header or the truckie may have it in the seat beside him.
"And beer and beef jerky are best friends."
The eye round (one of the leanest cuts on the carcase) is the beef used in Mike's Beef Jerky.
"It is long, grainy and lean so it is pure meat," he said.
It doesn't matter if you go to a grocery store, your bottle shop, your pub, your local servo, there is beef jerky there.
- MIKE EPP
The process takes more than 30 hours from cutting up the beef into 2.5 centimetre slabs and then 10 millimetre strips to dry it. The strips are mixed in spices and left for 18 to 20 hours before going into the smoker.
Mike believes what sets their beef jerky apart is its full flavour, not fully dehydrating it like many other brands, and the natural essence of wood smoke.
"The feedback is that it is packed full of flavour, more tender to bite and it is beefier because all the moisture (taste) is not dripping out," he said.
Mike's career in the timber industry brought Mike, Cindy and their two sons Riley and Garrett to Australia 23 years ago.
It was while living at Mount Gambier 16 years ago, they had their first visit to Robe and instantly fell in love, buying a house that same day.
"We happened to come here on a bright sunny day and there happened to be an auction on the day," he said.
"We went to grab a bite to eat and then said 'let's go to the auction'.
"There was a house over on Long Beach that was about to be turned in and we thought 'no way'. It looked like a Qld beach with kilometres of white sand and turquoise blue water so we bought it."
After many memorable holidays in Robe with their sons, Mike and Cindy made it their main residence in Australia, while also owning a fly-in fly-out fishing camp in the remote wilderness in Canada.
Packets of Mike's Beef Jerky which are now being stocked by more than 250 outlets. Photo:SUPPLIED
Mike says being based in the tourist mecca of Robe has been an advantage, with thousands of tourists flocking into their shop, which is located next to boutique brewer Robetown Brewery.
"Last year there were 30,000 people visiting Robe, and it was the busiest winter ever because the borders were closed, so South Australians got out and discovered their backyard," he said..
"We had so many people say they had lived in Adelaide for so many years and had never been to Robe or they hadn't been to Robe in 20 years."
Mike says many of these people have then ordered the jerky online or sought it out in their local supermarket.
"We even had folks come to Robe from far North Qld that own the Junction Hotel in Dimbulah, inland from Cairns and all of a sudden, it is in their pub."
Cindy says Robe is a "great little community" and is grateful for the way the locals have got behind them, from the tradies who built their factory to the fellow tourism operators and all the local stockists.
The Epps, who employ six staff, have their sights firmly set on being the "premier supplier" of beef jerky in SA and expanding further interstate.
Their plans include fully automating the packaging line, which is presently semi-automated.
"Two hundred and fifty to 300 outlets may sound a lot but it hasn't even really touched the surface of SA, let alone nationally," he said.
"We can double or triple shifts, the assets are there, so there is plenty of capacity here but it is about making sure we can attract the labour to extend production."
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Source: https://www.stockjournal.com.au/story/7608525/meaty-demand-for-mikes-beef-jerky/
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