Boulder Canyon was founded in 1994 by brothers John and Mark Maggio in Boulder, Colorado during the early growth of the natural foods movement. The brothers wanted to create healthier snacks without sacrificing flavor, so they began developing kettle cooked potato chips made with alternative oils such as olive oil and, later, avocado oil. Their approach helped establish Boulder Canyon as an early pioneer in the better for you snack category. The company initially grew from a small local operation supplying Boulder area delis and natural food retailers before expanding beyond Colorado.
In 2000, Poore Brothers acquired the Boulder brand, continued developing it, and eventually renamed it Boulder Canyon Natural Foods as it expanded into additional snack categories. The brand later became part of Inventure Foods and, following Inventure’s acquisition by Utz Brands in 2017, Boulder Canyon became part of the Utz portfolio. Today, Boulder Canyon continues to draw on its Colorado roots and its original philosophy of using carefully selected ingredients to create flavorful snacks. The brand, which began with kettle cooked potato chips, has since expanded its product line to include several types of snacks, including beef jerky.
The Boulder Canyon jerky brand is manufactured and distributed by Inventure Foods, Inc., located in Goodyear, Arizona. This jerky is manufactured under the name Bridgford Food Processing Corporation and is located in Chicago, Illinois, making this a stock recipe.
Disclaimer: The best before date for this bag is February 2025.
The first review for Boulder Canyon will focus on a 2.75 ounce/78 gram bag of their Summit Sweet & Spicy flavored beef jerky. This jerky bag was purchased at a True Discount store in Ardmore, Tennessee.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Water, Seasoning Blend (Salt, Brown Sugar, Sugar, Mustard, Monosodium Glutamate, Dehydrated Garlic, Red Pepper, Sodium Erythorbate, Onion Powder, Spice Extractive), Brown Sugar, Boulder Canyon Jerky Base (Vinegar Powder [Dextrin, Modified Food Starch, Vinegar Solids], Tomato Powder, Pineapple Juice Powder [Maltodextrin, Pineapple Juice], Worcestershire Sauce Powder [Distilled Vinegar, Molasses, Corn Syrup, Salt, Caramel Color, Red Pepper, Sugar, Spices, Tamarind, Natural Flavor and Sulfiting Agents], Maltodextrin], Natural Smoke Flavor, Spices, and not more than 2% Silicon Dioxide added to prevent caking), Red Pepper, Sodium Nitrite. Allergen Warnings: May Contain Soy and Wheat
This 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 just plain old water. Every other liquid listed is in powdered form, such as teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.
Some healthy ingredients are added, such as mustard, red pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, spice extractive, tomato powder, pineapple juice powder, and spices.
The sugar level is 6 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 5 grams of sugar or less per 28 grams of jerky for a sweet based flavor. The salt level is very high at 520mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky to lose another rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt or under per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky does not qualify to be sodium nitrite free along with sodium erythorbate as preservatives to lose a rating. The flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used to lose another rating.
Fair (4/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
BOULDER CANYON – SUMMIT SWEET & SPICY BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell a slight barbecue scent and nothing else. The jerky is medium in size and cut to a medium thickness. The jerky is rigid and dry, and it leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
When I bite into the jerky, I taste salt at a decent level, sweetness at a similar level, along with mild garlic and pepper. But the overwhelming flavor I am detecting is barbecue. It is driving the flavor bus here.
So, truth be told, I am seriously enjoying the overall flavor, but it is not as advertised. I haven’t detected the heat, and the sweet isn’t overly prevalent, which goes against the flavor title. So, despite the false advertising, I still feel inclined to rate it as an 8.5/10, which, rounded up, would constitute a 9/10. Gentlemen?
Here is what Mark had to say about this Summit Sweet & Spicy beef jerky flavor from Boulder Canyon: “Thanks Paul for the favorable taste review. I agree with everything stated. If I were doing this taste review blind, I’d definitely guess this is a barbecue flavor. As Paul mentioned, thankfully the sweetness doesn’t go overboard. As for any heat, at most I get a tingle in my mouth. Not that a spicy based flavor has to be hot, but there is barely any kick whatsoever.”
“The natural flavor of beef has no hint of tasting processed. As Paul stated, this flavor does not overdeliver in the sweet (a good thing in our books) or heat categories. However, the barbecue aspect tastes great. I along with Paul enjoyed this flavor despite this mislabeling. With Paul and me at an 8.5, a Very Good (9/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 2.75 ounce/78 gram bag of jerky cost $10.20. That equates to $3.71 per ounce, which classifies as an average price.
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has everything printed directly on the bag, front and back, with no labels attached. The front and back features an illustration of evergreen trees with snowcapped mountains in the background. The Boulder Canyon logo has two snowcapped mountains. Cleverly, the barcode is shaped like a mountain, and the protein facts are in a compass.
Possible slogans printed could be “Est. 1994”, “Live Better”, “Packed for Adventure”, and “Eat Boulder”. Some facts printed are “11g Protein”, “Excellent Source of Protein”, “Smoke Flavoring Added”, “Caramel Color Added”, and “Made with All-American Beef”.
The only missing bag category is a company website. There is a good blurb on the back describing Boulder Canyon. Pretty rare, two toll free phone numbers are provided for customer inquiries. You are encouraged to follow Boulder Canyon on Facebook, Instagram, and RSS (Really Simple Syndication) with their @BOULDERCANYON handle. A QR code is displayed on the back for food information.
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