As I mentioned recently, jerky is all the rage at the moment. I sampled a ton at Expo West and the NCA Sweets and Snacks Show. I had the opportunity to chat with Jeff Eckert, the CEO of Dick Stevens. Dick Stevens combines jerky with trail mix in one bag. All-natural jerky is blended with raw nuts, berries and seeds. The jerky comes in beef and turkey. They differentiate based on ingredients and quality and not exotic flavors like some other brands. I agree with Jeff that the trail mix is “not an after thought.”
Jeff started out by making a healthy and delicious jerky. Then, he and his wife decided to mix it with trail mix. He points out that trail mix has gone to the “dark side.” It has become more like candy than like a healthy snack. They make both the jerky and the trail mix with the healthiest and highest quality ingredients. The snack was “built to fuel activities and inspire adventures” It was given a personality instead of just a word to reflect that. The brand has a persona (and logo) of the Australian Outback. The name Dick Stevens is meant to be like the product: simple and uncomplicated. It’s “just back to the basics.”
As I said, the focus is on health and quality ingredients. All of the jerky in the mixes is hormone and antibiotic-free. The red meat jerky is grass-fed. All dried fruits are naturally sweetened with apple juice and no other added sugar. All of the mixes are gluten free, low in saturated fat, have no trans fats and less sodium than most other jerky products. The seeds and nuts are raw and not roasted. There are no additional coatings or flavorings. They capitalize on the naturally good flavors!
The mixes come in four flavors: Beef, Turkey, Extreme Blend – Beef and Extreme Blend – Turkey. There are three new flavors coming soon: Bison Hemp, Free Range Chicken Pomegranate and Grass Fed Beef Jerky. Each bag has lightly seasoned beef jerky, raw macadamia nuts and raw almonds in each blend. Extreme blends have blueberries, cranberries, raw nuts (macadamia nuts, walnuts, pecans), goji berries and raw sunflower seeds for a delicious, energizing snack. The bags come in 4 oz and 2.15 oz sizes.
The small bags are perfect for traveling! I dug into a small Beef blend on a recent delay in Charlotte. The mixes are fresh and delicious. The jerky is tender and not salty. The nuts and fruit are very fresh. I’m a big fan of the original mixes. The Extreme Blends are great to add to salad, too. The extra types of fruit and nuts add so many flavors and the pieces are a the perfect size to mix in. I am really excited for the new flavors and blends – especially Bison.
The folks at Dick Stevens sent me a bunch to try and share. I will send one lucky winner four 4 oz bags – one of each of the four flavors shown above. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. The giveaway is open to US residents, 18 years of age or older and is void where prohibited. The giveaway runs through July 28. A winner will be selected and notified on July 29.
In the mean time, you can find Dick Stevens at many stores (locator) including Costco. You can also get it on Amazon (affiliate link). You can keep up with Dick Stevens on Facebook and Twitter, too.
Please note: I was provided Dick Stevens samples at no cost in exchange for an honest review. I was not otherwise compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.