This marks my first review for jerky purchased in 2014, on March 8 to be exact. I mention the exact date because we picked up a puppy for our family, the whippet dog breed. We were asked to pick up this puppy around London, Ontario. So if I am going to drive 2 hours somewhere, I may as well search the area beforehand, where I discovered that Bob’s Ultimate Meats sells beef jerky. They are located in downtown London, Ontario, inside an indoor flea market called the Gibraltar Market. Bob’s Ultimate Meats sells a large variety of meats. They explained that this jerky was made and distributed by Cloverleaf Farms, also located in Ontario.
Cloverleaf Farms started their business in 1984 and do not use MSG, wheat or fillers in any of the products they make. In regards to jerky, they are a private label company, supplying just a few great spots to buy this jerky. Their store is in New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada, and they have also returned to St. Jacobs Farmers Market.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Lean Beef, Water, Sugar, Salt, Spices, Onion, Garlic, Sodium Nitrite, Natural Smoke
The beef is local, from West Grey Premium Beef in Ontario. While not 100% grass-fed, the cattle do have some free range access to graze on grass, and roam about.
The only liquid in the marinade is plain old water. Super healthy onions and garlic are used in this jerky. Spices in general are very healthy also.
The sugar level is very respectable at less than 1 gram of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is also very respectable at around 195mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky.
Unhealthy sodium nitrite is used. In fairness, this jerky being sold in bulk is exposed to open air, so an additional preservative other than salt is understandable. As advertised, this jerky does qualify to have no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
This is my first taste review for jerky purchased in 2014. These strips of jerky are huge, where the one strip in the picture is over 140 grams. The slices are medium thickness, slightly even thicker than that. It has a great texture, not too dry, but not moist enough to classify as soft and tender. The jerky is easy to chew and tear along the grain. No wads of meat that are not chewable, and no fat to be seen whatsoever.
As for the taste, it is fairly mild tasting for a original flavor. I find the taste of beef itself pretty strong, but that’s probably because no sauces are used in the marinade. There is a hint of garlic and medium saltiness. It has a slightly sweet flavor, which I believe is accented by the onions.
Being somewhat plain flavored, kids love this beef jerky. Overall a pleasurable taste, the type of jerky that is hard to stop eating once started, which is the best one can ask.
I paid $10 for this 8 ounce/227 gram bag which works out to $1.25 an ounce. That would rate as a very cheap price, and great value for your money. This jerky is officially sold at $19.99 per pound.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
All we have here is a standard plastic bag. No label, not even a sticker to state the size, and that this was sold at Bob’s Ultimate Meats. That is somewhat common when you buy jerky in bulk from a meat store with no predetermined weight of jerky. Nothing really to review here, it rates up there with a brown paper bag. Cloverleaf Farms was kind enough to email me the ingredient list.
Check out their web sites: www.bobsultimatemeats.webs.com www.cloverleaffarms.ca
Thanks so much for mentioning me in your review.
Please let me point out that the jerky is delivered to me fresh, directly from Cloverleaf Farms, on a weekly basis. Bob’s Ultimate Meats is open Saturdays and Sundays, 9 to 5. We sell somewhere between 50 and 60 pounds of this product every weekend. It’s rare if we even have any left by noon on the Sunday on any given weekend. People love it! And in my opinion, it’s the best quality jerky out there.
If you go to my website, http://www.bobsultimatemeats.net, and click on the photo gallery, you’ll be able to see picture of the jerky and how it’s displayed in the meat counter. As per health department requirements, the product is only placed in the cooler with fully-cooked items and kept at a constant temperature of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius. People really like the fact that the product is always fresh, not packaged, and they can pick out whatever pieces they want. We use clear poly bags to contain the product, so that the customer can see what they’re getting and how much they’re getting. The jerky is weighed and priced on a scale where they can completely see it before they pay for it.
I am the only supplier of this product, other then Cloverleaf Farms, themselves. In the summer, people from countries all over the world go out of their way just to come to my store, just to get this product.
I sell the jerky $19.99/lb. Price hasn’t changed in at least 6 years.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me anytime at blultimatebob@gmail.com.
Thanks again.
-Bob
Hi Bob, Thanks for the detailed write up on Bob’s Ultimate Meats. We recently wrote a review on the same Cloverleaf Farms Beef Jerky. The jerky was still excellent tasting, and one of best valued deals that we have reviewed to date, for $19.99/lb.