Mates Andy Fist and Shaun Malligan have honed in upon their love for the great outdoors and healthy eating to deliver a new dried beef product that eliminates the nasties to provide a healthy alternative to traditional jerky.

The Tasmanian born buddies collaboration utilises grass-fed beef and is already a favourite of the Australian Rugby Sevens team. The jerky, which launched under the moniker KOOEE! last month Is already available in supermarkets and the friends have their sights set on world domination.

“We found that existing products were full of preservatives, artificial ingredients and added sugar,” Malligan tells Kochie’s Business Builders. “So we decided to make a healthier jerky made with only honest, natural ingredients and nothing else. What started out of my home kitchen as a hobby soon spiralled out of control – and KOOEE! was born.”

KOOEE! Grass Fed Beef Jerky is crafted with 100% grass-fed beef, traceable to the Tasmanian farms where it was raised, and contains no added hormones or antibiotics.

“It’s gluten and soy-free, non-GMO and contains no artificial ingredients” adds Malligan. “All KOOEE! products are proudly made in Tasmania, home to many world-class food brands.”

Jerky has received a bad rap in recent years due to its high salt and preservative content, but Mulligan insists KOOEE! Is nothing like any predecessors in the marketplace.

“Jerky is basically dried, seasoned beef; but with a bit of care it is possible to make a healthy jerky,” expians co-founder Fist. “KOOEE! Jerky is exactly that. It’s a natural, high-protein snack without any of the nasty stuff.”

The lads must be doing something right, KOOEE! was recently selected as one of five companies in the inaugural Chobani Food Incubator program in Australia – the first of its kind specifically tailored for food companies in the country.

The friends hope to leverage their inclusion in the accelerator to boost the company’s reach across Australia and in lucrative Asian markets, where there is high demand for Australian beef jerky products.

Meanwhile KOOEE! Is already going gangbusters locally. The brand is now stocked at 500 retailers nationwide including Woolworths and Dan Murphys and the boys have picked up a number of awards for their efforts including a Silver at the Australian Food Awards and a Bronze at the Royal Sydney Fine Food Show (Smoked Chipotle).

The future looks bright for these jerkypreneurs!

You can find out more about the boys’ fab beef jerky at https://www.kooeesnacks.com.au/