Our travels... so far
Colm Connolly is from a fifth generation farming family who breed beef cattle in lush, green rural county Monaghan surrounded by rolling hills and the natural beauty for which Ireland is internationally renowned.
In 2014, Colm and his wife embarked on the trip of a lifetime. They quit their jobs, grabbed their backpacks and for seven months explored North and South America, New Zealand, Australia, Asia and the Middle East experiencing the scenery, the cultures and the exciting food. It is on this journey that they discovered beef snacks, however, felt they lacked in taste and quality.
On returning to Ireland in June 2015, frustrated by the lack of healthy and convenient snacks, they were inspired to blend their travel experience with their farming heritage to create their own healthy snack range using natural dried beef infused with subtle flavours. They knew they could make beef snacks that tasted so much better than what they had sampled abroad. Find out more about our journey and unique experiences by clicking on the map pins below.
South America
We experienced the beauty of Brazilian beaches, idyllic islands, samba and tango. Embraced the Andes Mountain, trekked the Inca trial, a history walking tour that was breath-taking – literally too!
Tasted the famous Argentinean steaks – The best dishes make use of local ingredients like the Peruvian Lomo Saltado, a wonderful traditional dish.
Travel tips - Always have some American dollars for an emergency and be careful with valuables in big cities, bag snatching is common. Mosquito repellent is important.
North America & Canada
Loved the hustle and bustle of America, we cruised down the west coast and over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Spent Christmas in New York, who doesn’t want to do that? Canada is simply stunning, but be warned it can get extremely cold in winter. Skied and Snowboarded on the Rocky Mountains! Beef Jerky is hugely popular in America & Canada, with original jerky and popular beef jerky available in every store - we sampled it on our road-trips, but something was lacking from the flavour.
Travel tips – Prepare for the climate/location – temperatures can vary significantly depending on time of year!
Africa
Culturally very different – bustling cities, family and friends are highly valued and people love gathering at cafes and chatting into the early hours of the night.
The home of biltong. A very traditional method of preserving meat – Spice added before drying for long periods using the local climate. Tasty, healthy and high in protein.
Tips – Always have water and sun cream! Mosquito repellent is important.
Asia
What an adventure. Culturally, wonderful learning experiences covering some important historical issues, huge appreciation for the people who always greet you with a heart warming smile.
Street food and cuisines like no other, we got to experience with all the local spices at 3 different cooking classes, picking our ingredients from local markets. Check us out at an ancient temple in Cambodia, where Tomb Raider was filmed!
Tips – Street food, if a stall is busy with locals, then it’s going to be very tasty.
Australia & New Zealand
Road-trip!!! We hired our campervan, got our map and hit the road. New Zealand, the shaky islands, was our favourite road trip - stunning mountains, lakes and towns. More of a buzz around Australia, simply fell in love with Sydney, a mix of old and new with famous iconic sights. We tried some good beef jerky while on the road, but something was still missing from the flavour.
Tips – Plan your road-trip carefully, distances between places are vast so you will have to be picky with your stop of points/visits.
Values we carry with us
Rucksnacks is 100% family owned and we are immensely proud of that. Our five values reflect what is essential to us and we strive to exceed our customers’ expectations. We’re not perfect, but we promise we will make every effort to deliver the best beef jerky you’ve ever tasted!
For 5 generations, the Connolly family have been farming in rural County Monaghan, Ireland. Experience, heritage and know how has been passed down from generation to generation. We pride on the comfort, well-being and quality of all our farm animals. Grass-fed Irish beef is widely known to be more beneficial, due to its lower fat and high omega-3.
