Rough Cut Beef Jerky – The Story Behind the Meat
Bringing Nordic Meat Experiences to the World
Rough Cut Beef Jerky is the international branch of the Finnish dried meat company Kuivalihakundi. Our mission is simple: to bring Nordic meat experiences to all meat lovers around the world.
It Started with Disappointment
The journey began with one terrible bag of jerky. I was on a fishing trip in Lapland with my buddies, and everything about that day was absolute shit—the beer was warm as piss, the rain was pouring down, and after a long hike, our legs were dead. To top it all off, the fish weren’t biting, making for one miserable evening.
As we sat by the river, exhausted and starving, we ripped open our store-bought jerky, hoping for at least one good thing that day. But holy shit, was it disappointing. The texture, the flavor—everything about it sucked. And in that moment, I knew I could do better.
On my way home, I bought a dehydrator and got to work, experimenting with different marinades and drying techniques. I was determined to become the master of dried meats!
Trial, Error, and a Whole Lot of Jerky
Nobody is born a blacksmith, and I sure as hell wasn’t born a jerky master either. My first batch was terrible—way too salty—but I ate it all anyway and learned from my mistakes.
My wife was not amused as I managed to marinade not just the meat, but the entire kitchen as well.
Despite all the setbacks, failure was never an option.
From Poker Nights to Full-Time Hustle
For years, I fine-tuned my recipes, bringing my jerky to every poker night with my friends. They loved it and kept asking for more, giving me the motivation to keep going.
As a former truck driver, jerky had always been my go-to snack on long hauls, so I knew exactly what good jerky should be. But when I started my business, I had zero experience in the food industry. The regulations, certifications, and production standards seemed overwhelming. Still, with hard work and determination, I got it done.
At first, I was making and selling jerky straight from my home kitchen, but as demand grew, I knew I needed more space. My wife was especially thrilled that I was no longer turning our kitchen into a jerky factory.
Building a Jerky Factory from Scratch
I had been eyeing an old industrial glass transport trailer sitting in my employer’s yard, wondering if it could be converted into a small-scale production facility.
Without wasting time, I called my friends over, offering beer in exchange for labor. Together, we built the walls in sleet and rain, and when the weather improved, we finished the interior production space. My family and friends have been my biggest supporters from day one, and my first big orders came from friends spreading the word about my homemade dried meat.
Officially in Business
In the autumn of 2015, we got our first official approval. Our massive “factory” was a whopping 20 square meters, and the inspector who signed off on it couldn’t stop laughing. He even joked that this must be the smallest industrial approval ever granted.
But we were serious. This was more than just a hobby—we were working our asses off to make it happen.
From Small Trailer to Industry Pioneer
Once we ran out of space in the trailer, I knew it was time to scale up. We were sprinting toward our goal of becoming the pioneers of Finnish beef jerky.
I soon rented a much bigger facility to expand production, and from that moment on, we’ve been growing non-stop—bringing authentic Nordic beef jerky to meat lovers worldwide.
This is Rough Cut Beef Jerky. Real. Bold. Uncompromising.
