Our Story - Written by Ben.
During the lockdown months of the COVID-19 pandemic, my brother, Toby and I began making biltong. The spark was ignited after we tasted the authentic, beautifully wet and fatty style brought back by South African friends from their hometowns. We were instantly hooked. With an unexpected abundance of time on our hands, we dedicated ourselves to the craft daily — cutting various cuts of beef, sourcing and importing high-quality ingredients, and developing our own bespoke spice blends.
After months of continuous refinement, we finally produced biltong we were genuinely proud of, and Stort Biltong was born.
Drawing on a background in digital marketing, we built our first website and established our social media presence. Our inaugural market stall at the Kings Arms pub in Stansted was a success, and we soon secured a regular trading spot in Bishop's Stortford town centre twice a month. Without fail, we sold out completely by midday every single time.
Growth was entirely organic. We never received financial backing or external investment — every penny of revenue was reinvested straight back into the business. While I ran a social media consultancy and worked part-time at London Stansted Airport, Toby spent gruelling hours every day mastering new techniques and perfecting our production.
The turning point came when we were approached by the landlords at Millars Maltings about opening a physical shop. The unit was tiny, but we knew it was a gamble worth taking. We launched during the 2023 Rugby World Cup. On our very first Saturday — the day of the South Africa versus Ireland match — we sold out by 11:00 am.
Driven by a desire to innovate, we introduced our Saturday Braai Events. It was during these that we met Chris, who had relocated from Johannesburg just four months earlier. Walking through town one morning, the unmistakable aroma of boerewors on a braai drew him in. A firm friendship was forged that very day.
Chris braaiied every Saturday, from early morning until mid-afternoon, and our reputation quickly spread far beyond Bishop's Stortford. The videos we created together resonated enormously with the global South African community online, popularising phrases like "Don't Be a Doos, Be Lekker" and Chris's trademark greeting, "Good Morning Hertfordshire."
After two successful years, we moved to much larger premises within Millars Maltings and Chris officially joined the Stort Biltong team full-time. The business continued to attract attention from the worlds of rugby and cricket — including a visit from former Proteas cricket captain Dean Elgar, which even made the local newspapers.
Our first major corporate milestone came via a contract with the Proteas themselves, delivering a large order to the South African squad at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington ahead of their match against Australia at Lord's. As a bonus, we were gifted tickets to the second day of the Test match.
Then came the moment that changed everything. We received a call from the Springboks' coaching staff, asking if we would host a braai that evening. We closed the shop, travelled to London, and brought our biltong to slice fresh for the team. The reaction was incredible — many remarked that while companies routinely sent vacuum-sealed biltong to their hotel, ours was different: freshly sliced, beautifully fatty, using grass-fed cattle with an exceptional depth of flavour.
Toby, Chris, and I spent the evening braaiing alongside legendary figures Duane Vermeulen, Jaco Peyper, and Daan Human, with head coach Rassie Erasmus dancing along to the team's famous yellow Springbok speaker. We were able to get some autographs which meant we had a signed Springbok jersey for our shop wall — a moment all three of us will cherish for the rest of our lives.
We later received a direct message from Thomas du Toit: "Dankie vir die lekker biltong manne! Beste in die UK wat ek al geproe het!!" — "Thanks for the great biltong guys! Best in the UK I've ever tasted!!"
From travelling to South Africa together and braaiing at Thomas du Toit's home, to hosting a pitch-side braai for Dean Elgar and the Essex Cricket team, the adventures keep coming. We've catered weddings, high-profile events, and continue to grow day by day.
We remain immensely proud of the uncompromising quality of our products and the remarkable journey this business has taken. With new team members recently recruited and exciting opportunities on the horizon, we can't wait to see what the future holds for Stort Biltong.
Thank you for reading.