Best Craft Jerky UK (2026) – 6 Craft Beef Jerky Brands Ranked

Looking for the best craft jerky in the UK? While supermarket jerky often focuses on protein claims and shelf life, craft jerky brands are doing something very different: better beef, bolder flavours, cleaner ingredients, and snacks that actually taste like proper food.

The UK craft jerky scene is still relatively small, but it’s growing quickly as more people look for:

• premium savoury snacks
• grass-fed beef
• small-batch food brands
• higher-quality protein snacks
• flavour-first alternatives to boring supermarket jerky

In this guide, we compare the best craft jerky UK brands based on flavour, texture, ingredients, originality, and overall quality.

If you’re looking for broader rankings across all jerky categories, check out our guide to the best beef jerky UK brands.

Quick Comparison

We scored each brand based on flavour, beef quality, texture, originality, ingredients, and overall snack experience.

Scores are based on our opinion and publicly available product information. Rankings are not official awards.

What Is Craft Jerky?

Craft jerky is basically the opposite of generic supermarket jerky.

Instead of focusing purely on:

• macros
• long shelf life
• mass production

craft jerky brands usually focus on:

• flavour
• beef quality
• smaller-batch production
• texture
• cleaner ingredients
• originality

The best craft jerky feels more like:

• artisan food
  than:
• “gym fuel”

A lot of supermarket jerky tastes overly sweet, heavily processed, or weirdly uniform. Craft jerky tends to be more beef-forward, less artificial, and far more interesting.

What Makes Great Craft Jerky?

The best craft jerky should have:

• High-quality beef
• Good texture
• Bold flavour
• Distinct identity
• Balanced marinades
• Proper chew
• Memorable flavours

Craft jerky should feel like somebody actually cared while making it.

Bad jerky often tastes:

• too sugary
• too dry
• too processed
• too generic

The best craft jerky leaves you immediately wanting another piece.

Brand Reviews

1. Punk Jerky

• Style: Craft jerky
• Origin: UK
• Best for: Bold flavour and premium British beef

Punk Jerky is one of the clearest examples of a true craft jerky brand in the UK.

Rather than positioning itself as a generic “high protein snack”, the brand focuses heavily on:

• flavour
• grass-fed British beef
• bold branding
• small-batch production
• proper texture

Flavours like:

• Sticky Teriyaki
• Thai Spicy
• Hawaiian Heat
• Naked Jerky

feel more experimental and food-led than most supermarket jerky.

The texture is also noticeably better than mass-market jerky — tender enough to enjoy but still chewy enough to feel like proper dried beef.

Punk Jerky feels much closer to:

• craft beer culture
• premium snack brands
• foodie products

than traditional “gym jerky.”

Best for:

• foodie snackers
• flavour lovers
• spice fans
• premium snack gifting
• people bored of generic jerky

2. Mason’s Meats

• Style: Premium jerky
• Origin: UK
• Best for: Minimal ingredients and premium beef

Mason’s Meats takes a much more stripped-back approach to craft jerky.

The focus here is:

• premium grass-fed beef
• simple seasoning
• minimal ingredients
• strong beef flavour

Compared with heavily marinated jerkies, Mason’s feels cleaner, richer, and more minimalist.

Good option for people who care more about:

• beef quality
• simplicity
• texture

than wild flavours or novelty.

Best for:

• minimal ingredient fans
• premium beef lovers
• clean snacking
• beef-forward flavour

3. Billy Franks

• Style: Craft jerky
• Origin: UK
• Best for: Creative flavour combinations

Billy Franks helped push UK jerky beyond generic “Original” and “BBQ” flavours.

The brand is known for:

• Cheeseburger jerky
• Roast Beef & Mustard
• Teriyaki
• Sweet Chilli

The flavours lean playful and snackable without completely losing the craft feel.

Compared with Punk Jerky, Billy Franks is:

• slightly sweeter
• more approachable
• more mainstream-friendly

while still sitting firmly in the UK craft jerky category.

Best for:

• creative flavour fans
• first-time craft jerky buyers
• people wanting approachable jerky

4. Raging Bull

• Style: Jerky/Biltong
• Origin: UK
• Best for: Variety and meat-snack gifting

Raging Bull offers one of the widest ranges of:

• jerky
• biltong
• meat snacks

currently available in the UK.

The flavour range is broad, making it a strong option for:

• gift boxes
• tasting packs
• discovering different meat snack styles

The branding leans more traditional than Punk Jerky, but the overall quality and variety are strong.

Best for:

• variety lovers
• meat snack gifting
• jerky enthusiasts

5. Ember Snacks

• Style: Biltong
• Origin: UK
• Best for: Cleaner high-protein snacking

Ember sits somewhere between:

• premium health snack
  and:
• craft meat snack

The brand focuses more heavily on:

• lower sugar
• cleaner ingredients
• softer texture
• nutrition

than strong marinades or wild flavours.

Good option if you want a more minimal, macro-friendly meat snack without going fully “bodybuilder protein snack”.

Best for:

• health-conscious snackers
• gym-goers
• softer texture fans
• lower sugar snacking

6. Kings Elite Snacks

• Style: Jerky/Biltong
• Origin: UK
• Best for: Softer jerky textures

Kings Elite focuses on softer-texture jerky and biltong products with strong protein content and a premium-style feel.

Compared with traditional American jerky, the texture is:

• less aggressive
• easier to eat
• more snackable

Some flavours can lean salty, but the brand still fits within the broader UK craft meat snack movement.

Best for:

• softer jerky fans
• protein snacking
• accessible craft jerky

Craft Jerky vs Supermarket Jerky

Craft jerky usually costs more because:

• beef quality is better
• production is smaller batch
• drying is labour intensive
• brands prioritise flavour over mass production

Why Craft Jerky Is Growing In The UK

Jerky used to feel like:

• petrol station snacks
• bodybuilding food
• generic protein products

But newer brands are repositioning it as:

• premium savoury snacking
• foodie culture
• craft food
• better-for-you indulgence

This shift is very similar to what happened with:

• craft beer
• speciality coffee
• hot sauce
• premium crisps

People increasingly want snacks with:

• identity
• flavour
• better ingredients
• personality

not just macros.

FAQ

Q: What is craft jerky?

A: Craft jerky focuses on premium beef, bold flavours, smaller-batch production, and better ingredients compared with mass-market jerky.

Q: What’s the best craft jerky in the UK?

A: Punk Jerky, Mason’s Meats, and Billy Franks are among the strongest UK craft jerky brands for flavour, texture, and beef quality.

Q: Is craft jerky healthier?

A: Often yes. Many craft jerky brands use cleaner ingredients and better beef, though nutritional quality still varies between products.

Q: Why is craft jerky expensive?

A: Jerky production requires large amounts of beef due to moisture loss during drying, and craft brands usually use better-quality meat and smaller-batch production.

Q: Is craft jerky better than supermarket jerky?

A: Usually yes if you care about flavour, texture, ingredients, and beef quality rather than just convenience or price.