The Meat Snack UK Buyer’s Guide: Jerky vs. Biltong vs. Roam

Searching for the best meat snacks UK has to offer? We break down the processing, ingredients, and nutritional profiles of jerky, biltong, and the new clean-label evolution to help you choose the ultimate high-protein fuel.

The UK’s appetite for savoury, high-protein snacks has exploded. No longer relegated to the bottom shelf of the pub, meat snacks have become a staple for commuters, hikers, and hybrid athletes alike. However, as the market grows, so does the confusion. While many products look similar on the outside, the difference in how they are made and what is added to them is vast.

If you are looking for high-protein meat snacks, you generally face three choices: traditional jerky, South African-style biltong, or the new generation of clean-label meat bars. To make an informed choice, you need to look past the rustic packaging and understand the science of the snack.

The Traditional Choice: Beef Jerky

Jerky is perhaps the most globally recognised meat snack. Historically, it was a survival food, but modern commercial jerky has moved far from its roots.

The Process: Jerky is typically sliced thin, marinated in a liquid solution, and then cooked or smoked at low temperatures to dehydrate the meat.

The Problem: Because the marinade is liquid-based, many commercial brands use high levels of sugar, soy sauce, and corn syrup to achieve that signature sweet-and-salty flavour.

The UPF Risk: To keep jerky "soft" and shelf-stable despite the moisture in the marinade, manufacturers often add sodium nitrates, potassium sorbate, and artificial flavourings.

The Purist’s Choice: Biltong

Originating in South Africa, biltong offers a different texture and usually a cleaner ingredient list than jerky.

The Process: Biltong is cured using vinegar and air-dried as whole steaks before being sliced. It is never "cooked," which preserves more of the natural enzymes in the meat.

The Advantage: Traditional biltong is sugar-free and focuses on simple spices like coriander and black pepper.

The Catch: As biltong has gone mainstream in the UK, "supermarket biltong" has started adopting the bad habits of jerky—adding sugar, preservatives, and yeast extracts to appeal to a broader palate. Always check the label for "nonsense" ingredients.

The Clean Evolution: Roam

Roam represents the third generation of meat snacks in the UK. We took the air-drying wisdom of biltong but applied a "zero-compromise" rule to the sourcing and the additives.

The Process: We use EU pasture-raised beef, gently slow cooked at ultra low temperatures to preserve protein bioavailability and micro nutrients .

The Roam Difference: Unlike jerky or commercial biltong, we guarantee zero sugar, zero seed oils, and zero additives. No nitrates, no gums, and no hidden syrups. It is quite literally just grass-fed meat and natural spices.

 

Read next: The Complete Guide to Meat Snacks UK →