Why Real Biltong Costs More — and Why It’s Worth It

Authentic South African biltong in New Zealand takes time, quality ingredients, and years of experience to produce properly.

Good biltong starts with real meat — about 2kg of fresh beef to make 1kg of finished product. That alone roughly doubles the cost of the main ingredient before anything else is even added.

Then comes the process.

The meat is carefully prepared, seasoned, and dried over several days using controlled airflow, temperature, and time. There’s electricity, labour, packaging, food safety compliance, and constant monitoring involved in every batch.

And recipes are not simply thrown together overnight.

Real biltong recipes are refined over years through testing, adjustment, and consistency. Small changes in spice balance, vinegar levels, drying conditions, and meat quality can completely change the final product. What customers are really paying for is experience and consistency — the ability to produce proper biltong again and again.

But there is another side to the story.

Biltong is not a sugar-loaded, ultra-processed snack designed to keep you hungry. Real biltong is simple food made from beef, natural fat, spices, vinegar, and time. It is naturally high in protein, filling, and suitable for many people following Keto or Carnivore lifestyles.

Cheap snacks are often built around fillers, seed oils, sugar, and artificial flavouring.

Biltong is different.

It satisfies hunger properly, provides lasting energy, and contains ingredients people can actually recognise.

At The SAFFA Shack in Hawke’s Bay, we still make biltong the traditional way — with patience, proper drying time, and carefully refined recipes developed over years.

Cheap snacks keep you hungry.
Biltong keeps you going.

Real biltong costs more because it gives more.

If you are looking for authentic biltong in New Zealand, The SAFFA Shack is proud to bring a true taste of South Africa to New Zealand.