Good jerky isn’t made in the marinade. It’s made in the paddock.
Long before a strip of beef hits our spice rub, its flavour, texture and quality have already been decided by the breed, the farm, the feed, and how that animal was raised. Get that part wrong, and no amount of seasoning fixes it.
It’s why we’re fussy about where our beef comes from, and why every pack of Byron Jerky is made from 100% grass-fed, Australian beef.
It starts on Australian pasture
Our cattle graze on open, regional pasture, not feedlots, and not grain. That natural, grass-fed diet is what gives Australian beef its clean, distinctive flavour and consistent texture, both of which matter a lot when you’re air-drying meat down to a concentrated, chewy snack. Feed the cattle well, and the beef does most of the work for you.
And just as important, we only buy from trusted local farms, which keeps our supply chain short, our beef fresher, and our support firmly with regional Australian communities.
Grass-fed vs grain-fed: why it actually matters here
Not all beef is raised the same way, and the difference shows up more in jerky than in almost any other cut. Grain-fed cattle are typically finished on a high-energy feedlot diet designed to add fat quickly, which is great for a marbled steak, but less useful for jerky where excess fat is a liability rather than an asset.
Grass-fed cattle, by contrast, develop leaner muscle with a firmer, more consistent texture, which dries down evenly and holds its shape instead of turning greasy or patchy. It also carries a cleaner, slightly more mineral flavour that comes through clearly once it’s concentrated by drying. There’s nowhere for a muddy or overly fatty taste to hide in a product this simple.
Fully traceable from the farm
Every animal in our supply chain is tracked through Australia’s National Livestock Identification System (NLIS), so we know exactly which farm (and which paddock) our beef comes from. Paired with Australia’s strict food safety standards, that means no guesswork and no mystery meat. Just a supply chain we can stand behind, batch after batch.
Why we choose lean cuts
Jerky is unforgiving when it comes to fat. This is because fat doesn’t dry the same way lean muscle does, and it can turn rancid well before the rest of the strip is ready, which is why we work almost exclusively with lean, whole-muscle cuts like topside, silverside and eye of round. They hold their shape, soak up a marinade properly, and dry down to that firm, satisfying chew Byron Jerky is known for.
Raised the way we’d want it raised
Good sourcing is about improving your eating experience, but it’s also about how the animal got there. Many of the farms we work with follow regenerative practices.
This looks like rotational grazing that lets the pasture recover, minimal use of artificial inputs, and low-stress handling that’s better for the animal and, in turn, better for the meat too. Stressed cattle produce tougher, less consistent meat, while calm, well-managed cattle don’t.
Most of the time, looking after the animal and getting a better end result are two different jobs. Not on these farms – here, it’s the same job. It’s exactly why we choose the farms we do – these partnerships are something we’re genuinely proud of.
From pasture to pack
What our beef goes through from pasture to pack is equally important. Get a step wrong, and your jerky won’t be up to the standard you know and love. Here’s what’s important:
- Raised right: Our cattle graze freely on native grasses across regional NSW pasture. No shortcuts, and absolutely no growth hormones.
- Trimmed and marinated: Lean cuts are hand-trimmed, sliced and marinated in our own spice blends, so we know there’s nothing artificial, and nothing hiding.
- Slow air-dried: We dry every batch low and slow, the traditional way, to lock in flavour without relying on chemical preservatives.
- Checked, then packed: Every batch gets a final check for colour, texture and consistency before it’s sealed, so what you open matches what left our kitchen.
Are you ready to taste the difference?
You can taste the difference between beef that was rushed and beef that was raised properly. Grass-fed Australian beef gives us a cleaner flavour, a better chew, and a supply chain we’re genuinely proud of, which is exactly why it’s the only beef that goes into Byron Jerky.
Wanna try some Byron Beef Jerky for yourself? Find your nearest stockist here or shop online now!
