A biltong business received recognition for its South African-style snacks in the form of an award in the Great Taste Awards 2024.

This is Biltong received one star from the Guild of Fine Food for the third time in a row allowing it the title of Great Taste Producer.

Based in Farnworth, the biltong business makes its South African-style snacks from a factory at the home of Marcello Dickson and Marta Dickson, who make more than 200kg a week.

Previously Mr Dickson started a food firm with his father in South Africa and he started this food firm while off work from TransPennine Express over the course of the coronavirus crisis.

(Image: This is Biltong)

He said: "It was a sideline but when I went back to work it grew and it grew so I had a decision. Either I go on with the biltong or I give up with the biltong. 

"I bit the bullet around two years ago."

This is Biltong uses British Beef for its biltong which is air-dried for around a week rather than dried at a high heat in the way of similar snacks such as jerky.

Mr Dickson said a lot of customers come from the 200,000 or so South Africans in the UK but more and more customers come from this country as well.

(Image: This is Biltong)

He said: "There are 200,000 South Africans in the UK so the word is spreading.

"We have been in business for three years and all of a sudden there is a boom."

Across Greater Manchester, a number of businesses received recognition in the form of one star, two stars or three stars in the Great Taste Awards 2024.

Any business which receives at least one star from the Guild of Fine Food for three years of the last five years is allowed the title of Great Taste Producer.

(Image: This is Biltong)

For information about the biltong business go to thisisbiltong.co.uk or @ThisIsBiltong on social media.

For information about the Guild of Fine Food go to gff.co.uk or @GuildOfFineFood on social media.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.