Aussie jerky company beefs up European presence

NSW meat snacks company, Mariani Foods, has bought a competing UK dried meat products company out of administration as it makes inroads into the European market.

The European subsidiary of Mariani Foods, a producer of beef and game jerky for over 30 years, acquired Bare Earth, a Yorkshire meat snacks firm, out of administration for an undisclosed sum.

Bare Earth reportedly ran into trouble after it lost two large retail customers.

Don Nisbet, Mariani's MD, said retailers prefer locally made produce, and the acquisition would enable the company to sell British-made biltong, a type of cured meat, and jerky.

The combined companies will be renamed New World Foods (Europe) and will be managed independently.

Mariani Foods, which is based in Casino, NSW, exports to several countries and its game jerky includes kangaroo, emu and crocodile.

The company exports its products to the USA, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, New Zealand and The Middle East, but it's largest export market is Japan, where it supplies Costco and hundreds of other outlets, including the Tokaido Shinkansen (bullet train) for the Central Japan Railway Company.