Good & Gather is the brand name for the store Target. The first Target store opened in 1962 under The Dayton Company. Today, Target employs over 350,000 team members. 75% of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a Target store. This Good & Gather jerky brand is distributed under the name of Target Corporation, and it is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. This Good & Gather jerky brand is manufactured by the private labeler company Oberto Brands, and it is located in Kent, Washington.
The first review on Good & Gather will focus on a 2.65 ounce/75 gram bag of their Original flavored beef jerky. This bag was purchased at a Target store in Clifton, New Jersey, USA.
Ingredient Review
Beef, Brown Sugar, Sugar, Water, Sea Salt, Vinegar, Natural Smoke Flavor, Garlic Powder, Spice, Cultured Celery Powder, Onion Powder, Beef Stock.
The beef used is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. Also, the beef is not guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to graze on grass. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
The liquid marinade consists of water, healthy vinegar, and healthy beef stock.
Some healthy ingredients listed are garlic powder, spice, and onion powder.
The sugar level is on the high side at 7 grams of sugar per 28 grams of sugar to lose a rating. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is high at 500mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. However, the salt level is ignored because healthy, minimally processed sea salt is used.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite or similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, sea salt and, to a lesser degree, vinegar act as the main preservative. Admirably, this jerky qualifies to have no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
GOOD & GATHER – ORIGINAL BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell faint vinegar. The pieces are small in size and are sliced to a medium thickness. The jerky is somewhat soft, the texture is decent, and there is no oily residue on your fingers handling these jerky strips.
When I bite into the jerky, I am immediately sucker punched by the salt. Personally, I love it, but I can see if someone might find it a bit too salty. Even the sweet is borderline too intense. There is no shortage of strong flavors coming out at you with this bold flavor, with lesser degrees of garlic and very slight onion. I do not detect a kick, but it is not advertised as so.
Overall, a very BOLD jerky flavor but not quite hitting on all cylinders. A 9/10, in my humble opinion. Gentlemen?
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
The Good and Gather Original Beef Jerky is an interesting jerky. A lot is going on between the saltiness, the smokiness, sweetness, and garlic, to name a few. The flavors are balanced, and they cumulate into a pleasurable experience. The aroma predominantly smells of vinegar, and the texture is tender.
In my opinion, the Good and Gather Original Beef Jerky is reminiscent of a Korean Barbecue flavor in some ways. I did enjoy this jerky, but I am not completely convinced that it is an Original flavor, as it could also easily be considered a Korean Barbecue or perhaps even a Teriyaki flavor. I’d rate this jerky a 9/10 Taste Rating.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Original beef jerky flavor from Good & Gather: “Thanks Paul and Stéphane for the honest taste reviews. We are not in agreement here. Often I find myself finding the sweetness level arguably too high. In this case, the high level of sweetness is offensive tasting. The texture is unnatural by not having a well-defined grain. The taste of beef tastes slightly processed, but that is hard to tell with the sweetness being so distracting.”
“True in that the saltiness level is quite high. Also true that this original flavor comes across as more of a Korean BBQ or teriyaki flavor with the excessive sweetness. The best things going for this flavor are the vinegar’s acidity and the light level of garlic. Otherwise, nothing stands out except for the sweetness. With myself at a 6 rating, Paul and Stéphane at a 9 taste rating, a Good (8/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 2.65 ounce/75 gram bag of jerky sold for $3.99, which equates to $1.33 an ounce. That rates at a very cheap price.
Bag Review
This resealable professional-looking plastic bag has everything imprinted on the bag, including the front and back.
Some slogans printed on this bag are a stamp with a “Good & Gather Promise” and “A Snack With Substance”. Some facts printed on this bag are “Natural Smoke Flavor Added”, “10 Grams Protein Per Serving”, “98% Fat Free”, “No Artificial Ingredients”, “No Nitrates or Nitrites Added”, “Made in U.S.A.”, and “100% Satisfaction Guaranteed or your Money Back”.
There are no bag categories missing. On the back is a good blurb about Good & Gather. To the credit of Good & Gather, a toll-free phone number is provided for customer inquiries. The only complaint is that there is a lot of unused space on the bag.
Leave a Comment