Well-known York entrepreneur joins partner in new firm making protein snacks

Charlie Simpson-Daniel has a new business venture (Image: Pic supplied)

A York-based food entrepreneur has joined a bid to give UK shoppers a major alternative to US and Brazilian-made protein snacks.

Charlie Simpson-Daniel, founder of Kings Elite Snacks, has reunited with industry veteran Alan Craig to launch Protein Balance Ltd.

Mr Simpson-Daniel is perhaps best known as a professional rugby player, who launched The Heroes Journey and The Lion's Kingdom food companies in York.

This latest venture - Protein Balance Ltd- is a joint venture between Easingwold-based The Temples of War Gods Ltd, founded by Mr Simpson-Daniel, and Mr Craig’s All Steak Ltd of Edinburgh.

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  Some of the biltong Charlie Simpson-Daniel already makes.

(Image: Pic supplied)

The new business aims to deliver high-quality, innovative meat snacks across both branded and own-label retail channels.

Protein Balance Ltd combines Mr Simpson-Daniel’s commercial expertise with Mr Craig’s deep manufacturing experience, with financial backing provided by a Scottish family office with a diversified UK investment portfolio.

Mr Simpson-Daniel built Kings Elite Snacks from a 2011 start-up into a £27 million category captain in biltong and jerky before exiting following its sale to Valeo, part of Bain Capital, in 2021.

The company at one point held around 85 per cent of the UK market, supplying all major national retailers, and was reportedly sold for more than £40 million.

Mr Craig, founder of All Steak Ltd and former co-founder of The Meat Snacks Group, has long been a leading figure in the UK biltong and jerky space.

In 2012, he began developing a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Forres, Scotland, which now forms the production base for Protein Balance.

Some of the jerky Charlie Simpson-Daniel already makes

(Image: Pic supplied)

The site has received multi-million pound investments and currently produces own-label products for retailers including M&S, Tesco, Lidl, and Aldi, as well as ration packs for military groups across Europe and Ukraine.

Charlie Simpson-Daniel said: “I’m over the moon to be re-entering this space. My mission is to supply the UK with the highest quality biltong and jerky it has ever seen.

Making the meat snacks

(Image: Pic supplied)

"I’m here to lead innovation and become the key partner major retailers look to when taking this category forward.

“Today we work across beef, chicken, ostrich, antelope, wagyu and other proteins that can excite and entice new consumers into our space.

“We run a manufacturer-first model. Many in the market do not control their own production making innovation more cumbersome and having to add 3rd party manufacturing costs to their own margin model."

Alan Craig said: "I’m delighted to be working with Charlie again. We have both been

part of this category from the early days, and the opportunity now is bigger than ever.

“We have the manufacturing capability, the experience and the ambition to help take great tasting UK meat snacks to the next chapter.

"The brilliant team we have on site will be focussed on delivering price, quality, service and innovation."