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At Ben’s Biltong I am committed to doing everything I can to help the environment. From the use of local ingredients to more eco-friendly packaging, I am looking to make changes where I can. The meat used to make Ben’s biltong and droewors is all locally sourced. This not only supports local farmers, but also to ensures low food mileage. All the water used in the production of Ben’s products is also local, coming from the farm where Ben’s butchery is located. I am currently in the process of changing our packaging from single use plastic to craft paper packs....

Later this month I’m doing the Warwick Food Festival. Warwick is my hometown and therefore this festival holds a special place in my calendar. Many people know Warwick because of its famous castle, which is a must visit, but there is so much more to see and do in Warwick. Warwick has some wonderful parks and gardens including St Nicholas Park and Hill Close Gardens. It also has some fascinating museums including the Lord Leycester Hospital, the Market Hall Museum and the combined St John’s House & Royal Warwickshire regiment Fusiliers Museums. Warwick is also lucky enough to have an...

There are three parts to the Ben’s Biltong business. There’s the wholesale element which involves the supply of biltong and droewors to butchers, farm shops, deli’s and pubs. There’s the internet side of the business, where people can buy my products online and have them delivered throughout the UK. And lastly, there’s my favourite part of the business, my market stall, which gives me a chance to meet customers and share my love of South African snack food! Now that Spring is here, I am really excited to be back at markets and festivals showcasing my range of biltong and...

At food events I am constantly being asked whether there is any rabbit in the bunny chow!  Some people also find it hard to grasp the concept that you take a hollowed out loaf of bread and fill it with curry  - and a. a curry is South African (Durban has the highest Indian urban population outside of India) and b. it doesn't come with rice.   So here it is - the Bunny chow story During the Great Depression in 1933 Indians, whites and Chinese in Durban, South Africa, suffered hunger like everyone else. The kids then discovered that the...

Indigenous peoples of Southern Africa, such as the Khoikhoi, preserved meat by slicing it into strips, curing it with salt, and hanging it up to dry. After European settlers (Dutch, German, French) arrived in southern Africa in the early 17th century, they changed the curing process by using vinegar, saltpetre and spices including pepper, coriander and cloves The need for preservation in the new colony was pressing. Building up herds of livestock took a long time but with indigenous game in abundance, traditional methods were available to preserve large masses of meat such as found in the eland in a...