A new British protein snacking business has been formed in a bid to give shoppers an alternative to a market dominated by American and Brazilian suppliers.

All Steak and The Temples of War Gods have partnered in a new joint venture dubbed ‘Protein Balance’, which will be based out of All Steak’s manufacturing facility in Forres, Scotland.

The move creates one of the largest biltong and jerky manufacturing capacities in the UK, according to the business, and an edge on rivals who “do not control their own production”.

Through its The Temples of Our Gods brand, the business already has several biltong and jerky listings, in Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Iceland. The brand also has listings at Holland & Barrett and Ocado through its Heritage brand, and has secured a major own-label contract through an exclusive partnership with Lidl for till-point sales.

The Temples of War Gods founder Charlie Simpson-Daniel, who also founded Kings Elite Snacks, said he wanted to “supply the UK with the highest-quality biltong and jerky it has ever seen”. The new venture was now working on a raft of new products and brands, added the former professional rugby player.

“I left the market in 2021 and came back because I was heartbroken to see where the category had been taken,” he continued. “I’m here to lead innovation and become the key partner major retailers look to when taking this category forward.”

Simpson-Daniel added: “Supermarkets need value and quality more than ever before, and we’re here to deliver both with a branded, direct-to-manufacturer model, alleviating the need for the consumer to be overcharged for jerky and biltong. That is our vow.”

Alan Craig, founder of All Steak, who also co-founded of The Meat Snacks Group, said the opportunity in meat snacking was “bigger than ever”.

In 2024, Circana’s State of Snacking report claimed the category had grown 38% since 2020 and was on track to be worth £454m by 2027.

“We have the manufacturing capability, the experience and the ambition to help take great tasting UK meat snacks to the next chapter,” he added. “The brilliant team we have on site will be focussed on delivering price, quality, service and innovation.”