Our Story
Our mission is to bring a centuries-old South African tradition of enjoying beef in its simplest, unaltered form to our family and friends.
- Tyler Noyes, CEO
Kalahari Biltong was started after the adventure of a lifetime - where three best friends traveled to South Africa to race a total of 175 miles in an Ironman and Ultra Marathon, all within 6 days. Upon arrival, our South African teammate introduced us to his homeland’s unofficial national treasure, Biltong. What is it? Probably the most delicious meat snack we’ve ever had in our lives.
After literally eating close to our body weight in Biltong we were hooked. Imagine the tenderness and texture of prosciutto, the lean protein of jerky, and the beef flavor of steak tartare. Being in awe of the depth of flavor, we were stunned when we learned of the sheer simplicity of ingredients and the inherently natural process of crafting Biltong.
From that point on we knew there was no going back to endless gnawing on dry, damaged-by-high-heat, and pumped-full-of-artificial-ingredient jerky, that we have been suffering from in the USA. Things had to change. Immediately upon arriving home, we swore to find a way to liberate the American taste bud from the oppression of jerky.
We called BS on Jerky. Our mission was to bring a centuries-old South African tradition of enjoying beef in its simplest, unaltered form back to our family, friends, and country. Thus Kalahari Biltong was born. We knew the only way to succeed was in never cutting corners, always using the highest quality, single origin beef, and provide complete transparency for all our ingredients and processes.
We promise never to let your taste buds suffer again if you promise to share!
Brett Johnston
Co-Founder
Growing up in South Africa, Biltong was just another part of everyday life. As a favorite snack for generations, Biltong could be considered the country’s unofficial national treasure. Having lived in the US for years, and never satisfied with American jerky, making Biltong at home was the only way to satisfy his craving. While perfecting batch after batch, the insatiable demand from friends and family led him to the realization that everyone should be able to enjoy Biltong.
Tyler Noyes
Co-Founder & CEO
An entrepreneur by nature and triathlete by training; Tyler has always sought to exceed his personal limits both personally and professionally. He linked up with longtime training partner, Brett, to pursue the epic feat of racing 175 miles throughout South Africa in an Ironman and Ultramarathon - all within 6 days! Having founded a previous startup, Tyler developed his expertise within the health food industry. With a background in finance and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Tyler has found his next big challenge with Brett, taking on big jerky and bringing Kalahari Biltong to the USA.
Robinson Ginsburg
Co-Founder & CMO
Growing up in a bilingual household with deep French roots, Robinson has always held an appreciation for food that was different. It was a household that emphasized quality ingredients and he learned to value vendors that did one thing and one thing well. He was fascinated by this pursuit of a craft profession and spent his childhood immersed in sawdust, engine parts, and old French cookbooks. Robin connected with Tyler and Brett, two guys who also shared a love for other cultures and their traditions. Kalahari Biltong represents the perfect union of an age-old craft process coupled with nutritious, simple ingredients.