About Paul’s Gourmet Jerky
Some jerky brands begin with a marketing plan; this one begins with a guy named Paul. According to the brand, Paul grew up making jerky and snack sticks, and Paul’s has been at it since 1973. The brand frames its work as taking an old tradition and starting a new one, guided by an experienced palate. It hand crafts its jerky from beef, turkey or chicken and says it uses fresh ingredients from start to finish, sourced from local Michigan farms. Hickory sawdust is the smoke source it names for the tender smoke flavor. Everything is made in small batches, which the brand credits for the flavor it is after. Today you can find the Paul’s booth at farmers markets in Rockford, Holland, Muskegon and Howell and at Detroit’s Eastern Market, plus a packed calendar of craft shows across Michigan and neighboring states.
JerkyBrands carries the Paul’s Gourmet Jerky lineup across beef and chicken.
What makes Paul’s Gourmet Jerky different
The pitch comes down to freshness. The brand’s Ingredients page says it uses fresh, real produce from local farmers in Michigan, and that even the spices are fresh; dried-out thyme and soggy week-old cherries don’t make the cut just because jerky is a preservation process. The stated goal is rich, savory jerky with flavors of smoke, spices and fruit, the kind that proves the snack doesn’t have to taste like it came from a vending machine or chew like leather. Small batches are part of that: Paul’s makes everything in small batches to get the flavor where it wants it, and describes the result as a protein that rewards a little patience. The company says it isn’t like other jerky companies and is fine with that.
Paul’s Gourmet Jerky flavors we carry
The beef side runs from tradition to heat. Old Fashioned is the brand’s long-running smoky original, and Honey BBQ takes that same tradition in a sweeter direction. Hillbilly, which Paul’s calls its number one seller, layers the classic old fashioned base with a hint of soy and teriyaki, while the Teriyaki flavor gets a twist of sweet pineapple; if that is your lane, the teriyaki beef jerky from other makers is a short hop away. Peppered is pitched as a full pepper flavor rather than just a hot one, worth comparing against the other peppered beef jerky brands on the site. For heat, Sweet & Spicy is described as rich, with heat that sneaks up on you, and Hot Darn carries just enough heat to wake up your taste buds, by the brand’s own account; browse sweet and spicy beef jerky from across the store or the full beef jerky collection if you want to line them up against other brands.
The chicken flavors are the Michigan calling card. Cherry Chicken is made with Michigan cherries and described as moist and tender, something the brand suggests tossing into a salad, and Honey Sriracha Chicken balances sweet honey against the kick of Sriracha in the same moist, tender style. Both sit alongside the rest of the chicken jerky from every brand on the site. Everything currently in stock is in the grid above.
Who it's for
If you like heat that shows up without taking over, this is a friendly lineup: the brand’s hottest beef flavor is described as waking up your taste buds rather than throwing punches, and the sriracha chicken is balanced with honey. The chicken flavors are described as moist and tender, which is the texture note the brand leads with. Anyone drawn to the fruit-and-farm angle should start with the cherry chicken. Note that the manufacturer’s site doesn’t publish ingredient lists, allergen statements or gluten claims, and Hillbilly is described with a hint of soy, so read the bag before buying if you manage an allergy.
JerkyBrands is an independent retailer; the Paul’s Gourmet Jerky name and logo are trademarks of their owner.
