How it all started

It’s January 2023, and I’m starving after my workout.

I was roaming the shelves of a corner shop to find a healthy, savoury snack, when my eye caught the sight of an American beef jerky positioning their product as low-calorie and high-protein. I was instantly hooked by the lean texture and how convenient and nutritious it was.

I was thoroughly enjoying myself when the ingredients list hit me like a cold shower: imported Brazilian meat, nitrites, artificial flavour enhancers… I searched high and low for a guilt-free alternative, but everything fell short of my expectations.

Soon, I realised that the best solution was to make my own beef jerky. Online, I found a myriad of recipes and opinions contradicting each other, leaving me confused: which type of beef should I use? Which cut of the meat? What about slice thickness? Drying time? What marinade brought out the best flavors? And so forth.

Over the next six months, I dedicated my Sundays to turning my tiny kitchen into a jerky lab, and what had started as a simple hobby, evolved towards a journey to discover the best home-made beef jerky. After disastrous attempts that left my flat smelling, I invested in a small dehydrator, and from there, focused on the meat. I visited dozens of butchers, compared beef cuts, and played with marinade recipes, but I always stuck to all-natural ingredients and premium Belgian meat.

Curious about the roots of jerky, I discovered that it had a rich and interesting history. Designed to be a travel-friendly and long-lasting food, it was first produced by American tribes who dried meat as a preservation method for long journeys. American colonisers took a liking to this on-the-go, nutritious treat, and it later became associated with cowboys. Now, it’s a versatile product consumed by all, from the most active athletes to families on a road-trip.

However, I was still puzzled as to why this simple, yet underrated food was so uncommon in Europe when so many of us are health-conscious and long for quality products, until I realised that most people probably encountered the same problem as me! Namely, the absence of readily accessible, tasty, clean, and authentic jerky made from local beef.

Before I knew it, I was at the bar next door, handing a friend a kraft pouch with a homemade label. Inside? The very first Tof Jerky samples: Sweet & Spicy, Teriyaki, and Original.

I still remember the buzz I felt seeing someone new taste the fruit of my countless experiments, and, in that moment, between talks of flavours and textures, I forgot all doubt. For the first time, the idea felt real.

By that point, I had a rough idea, but no concrete plan to turn it into a business.

Not everyone believed in the project. Some questioned whether a small business like mine could stand a chance in a world dominated by massive distributors and industrial food giants.

Nevertheless, I didn’t lose faith. That’s why I was overjoyed when I came across an ad for the StartLAB program — a company helping to elevate business ideas into start-ups.

As I invested myself in masterclasses and workshops, I gained precious insight in how to manage a small business and got inspired by the passion, dynamism, and knowledge of other entrepreneurs.

I was finally getting close to launching the business. I’d contacted dozens of production spaces before finding one that would let me use their kitchen — on one condition: we could only produce outside of their production hours. And while I remember our workshop roommate fondly, my sleep schedule would probably not agree.

In January 2024, I shipped my first official order. As I held that box, it was the moment I knew: all the work, all the sacrifices… It had all been worth it.