THUNDER BAY – The owners of Bay Meats Butcher Shop and Sleeping Giant figured since beer and meat are both good separately, they must be even better together.
The unique combination of beer jerky was created earlier this year by two local companies, Bay Meats Butcher Shop and Sleeping Giant Brewing Company, with the butcher shop marinating beef jerky in the brewery’s 360 Pale Ale.
And like many of the best culinary partnerships, such as chocolate and peanut butter, sometimes the best ideas seem like no-brainers in hindsight.
“I love craft beer and I love meat. It’s a good combo. What goes better with beer than jerky anyway,” Bay Meats sales manager George Noonan said. “Why not try the two together? That way market research is a lot of fun.”
The product was quickly becoming popular locally but the BrewHa Craft Beer Festival held in August served as a catalyst to introducing the product to new markets.
Bay Meats used the opportunity to connect with other Ontario craft breweries, forging agreements with the Muskoka Brewery in Bracebridge and Sawdust City Brewing Company in Gravenhurst and Stack Brewing Company in Sudbury to use each company’s flagship beer to create different jerky each with a distinct flavour.
Noonan has travelled to a number of different events and festivals, including the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, to build partnerships and market the new product.
A number of other companies have expressed interest.
“We’re from Ontario and all the craft breweries we’ve been talking to are also from Ontario and they see that as a direct benefit, with two Ontario groups working together,” Noonan said.
Bay Meats has established a second Northwestern Ontario beer jerky connection, working with Kenora’s Lake of the Woods Brewing Company to create two other flavours using their beer.
Each brewery sells their jerky. Bay Meats also sells all the flavours out of their retail store as well as the Sleeping Giant jerky at a number of other city locations.
Kevin Brewer, the manager of sales and logistics for Sleeping Giant, said the partnership is mutually beneficial.
“We still get people every day who have never heard of or been to the brewery and never had our beer,” Brewer said.
“If we reach one more person that walks into Bay Meats or anywhere else that sells it and they find out they have a local brewery it helps us. It’s a great partnership with great people.”
