Chief vs Barbell Foods Biltong: An Honest Comparison
On the ingredients there is little between them. Both are 100% organic, grass-fed and grass-finished Australian biltong, air-dried and clean, so this one is genuinely close. Barbell Foods is cheaper, sugar-free and comes in bigger 200g bags. Chief's edge is single-serve packs, its coconut aminos flavour, a 3-ingredient Carnivore option and a wider clean range, not a better ingredient.
At a glance
On the ingredient itself there is little to separate these two. Both are 100% organic, grass-fed and grass-finished Australian biltong, air-dried, with about 45 grams of protein per 100 grams, no preservatives and a clean label. That shared standard is rare, so neither is a poor choice, and this is not a case where one uses better beef than the other. Barbell Foods is cheaper per 100 grams, is sugar-free with just beef, vinegar and spices, and sells bigger 200g sharing bags. Chief costs more, and its case is format and range, single-serve 30g bags, its coconut aminos flavour, a 3-ingredient Carnivore option and a wider clean range. If price and a zero-sugar, minimal recipe decide it, Barbell Foods wins. If you want single portions, the Chief flavour or the Chief range, Chief earns its premium.
Chief
- •single-serve 30g bags for portions and lunchboxes, where Barbell's smallest is 70g
- •the coconut aminos flavour, plus a 3-ingredient Carnivore option for the purists
- •buyers who want their biltong from the same clean whole-food range
| Per 45 g bar | Chief | Barbell Foods |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Air-dried organic grass-fed biltong | Air-dried organic grass-fed biltong |
| Protein | 13.6g per 30g bag, about 45g per 100g | 11.1g per 25g serve, about 44g per 100g |
| Sugar | 0.8g per 30g (Traditional); the Carnivore is lower | Under 0.1g, sugar-free |
| Ingredients | Beef (93%), coconut aminos, vinegar, salt, spices | Grass-fed beef, vinegar, spices (three ingredients) |
| Sourcing | 100% organic, grass-fed and grass-finished Australian beef | 100% organic, grass-fed and grass-finished Australian beef |
| Preservatives | None | None |
| Pack sizes | 30g and 90g bags, in multi-packs | 70g and 200g bags, in multi-packs |
| Price per 100g | about $15 to $21 depending on pack | about $10 to $12 depending on pack |
| Flavour range | Traditional, Carnivore, Chilli and others | Classic, Sea Salt and others |
| Suitable for vegans | No, it is beef | No, it is beef |
The cost, in full
All prices are AUD, read from each brand's own site on 6 July 2026. Biltong is sold in different bag sizes, so the fair comparison is price per 100 grams. Chief's biltong runs about $15 to $21 a 100 grams, depending on whether you buy 30g or 90g bags. Barbell Foods works out at about $10 to $12 a 100 grams, with its 200g bags the cheapest per gram. So Barbell Foods is the better value, and this is a point where Chief is the dearer option.
It is worth being plain about it. Both are organic, grass-fed Australian biltong of a similar protein content, so you are not getting more beef per gram from Chief. You are paying more for the single-serve format, the coconut aminos flavour and the Chief range. Whether that is worth the difference is your call.
Where Chief is the better choice
You want single-serve bags
Chief sells its biltong in 30g bags, a single serve that drops into a lunchbox or a pocket and takes care of portion control for you. Barbell Foods starts at 70g and runs up to a 200g sharing bag. For a small self-contained serve rather than a bag you keep dipping into, Chief's 30g size is the better fit.
You want the coconut aminos flavour or a carnivore option
Chief seasons its traditional biltong with coconut aminos, vinegar, salt and spices, which gives it a distinctive savoury note and keeps soy out. At the other extreme sits Chief's Carnivore biltong, just beef, salt and a touch of vinegar, with no herbs or spices at all. Whether you lean to the coconut aminos taste or a spice-free bite, Chief covers both ends.
You want it from a clean whole-food range
Chief's biltong sits alongside its collagen, whey, creatine and organ range, all built on the same no-nasties approach. Buying your biltong from the same brand, in the same order, is a fair reason to choose it. Barbell Foods, by contrast, is a biltong and meat-snack specialist, the natural pick if that focus is what appeals.
Where Barbell Foods is the better choice
You want the lower price
Barbell Foods is cheaper for the same kind of biltong, roughly $10 to $12 a 100 grams against Chief's $15 to $21, depending on the pack. Its 200g bags in particular bring the price per gram down. Both are premium organic biltong, so this is a genuine saving on a like-for-like snack, not a trade down. On price alone, Barbell Foods takes it.
You want zero sugar and the shortest list
Barbell Foods' Classic biltong is sugar-free, under 0.1 grams a serve, with just three ingredients: grass-fed beef, vinegar and spices. Chief's traditional biltong is very low too, 0.8 grams a 30g bag, though not quite zero, since the coconut aminos carry a trace. For the shortest possible list and no sugar at all, Barbell's Classic edges it; inside the Chief range, the Carnivore is the near-zero answer.
You want a bigger sharing bag
Barbell Foods sells 200g bags, made for sharing, a road trip or a household that gets through a lot of biltong. Chief's biggest bag is 90g. For one large bag rather than a handful of small ones, Barbell has both the bigger format and the better value at that size.
Which one is right for you
How closely matched they are
It is worth saying how similar these two are, because it is unusual. Both use 100% organic, grass-fed and grass-finished Australian beef, and both are air-dried rather than cooked. Both are free from preservatives, and both land around 45 grams of protein per 100 grams. On the things that matter most in a clean beef snack, they are neck and neck. The differences are at the edges: price, sugar, ingredient count, bag size and flavour. Neither is cutting corners, so this is a choice between two good products rather than a good one and a poor one.
Before you buy
Biltong does not suit everyone. It is beef, so it is not for vegans, vegetarians or anyone with a beef allergy. Chief's traditional biltong is seasoned with coconut aminos, so anyone with a coconut allergy should check the label. Dried meat is salty by nature, so if you are watching your sodium, keep it to a serve rather than a whole bag. Biltong is a clean, high-protein snack, but it is still a snack, not a meal, so it works well as part of a varied diet.
Common questions
A note on why we wrote this
Chief makes one of these products, so read this with that in mind. Chief's figures come from Chief's own product data. Barbell Foods' come from barbellfoods.com.au, read on 6 July 2026. Both are seasoned biltong; the page notes where they differ. Prices change, so check both sites before you buy.