Expertise in Every Cut · Meat stick & jerky consultant
Your meat stick and jerky consultant, from first formula to full production.
You’re in the right place. Whether you’re starting a jerky brand from scratch or leveling up a line you already run, 6R Meats brings real, hands-on meat-industry experience to the problems you’ll actually face — including troubleshooting products that won’t behave.
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Based in Thomson, Georgia, serving North America — the US, Canada, and Mexico. Zach travels to you.
A note from Zach
Hi, I’m Zach. You don’t have to figure this out alone.
I’m a meat scientist, and I’ve spent more than 15 years hands-on in meat science and food technology — at the bench, in the cooler, and on the plant floor. I started 6R Meats to help people make meat sticks and jerky that run more consistently, lot after lot.
Whether you’re turning a family recipe into a brand or trying to get an existing line to behave, tell me what you’re working on. I read every email myself.
— Zach Robertson, 6R Meats
Who we work with
For founders and for existing producers
Starting from scratch
How to start a jerky brand — with someone who’s done the work
You have the recipe or the idea. We help you turn it into a beef stick formulation, a process, and a package that can run at production scale — with a plant of your own or a co-man.
Start at stage 01 →Already producing
Level up the line you already run
Product troubleshooting when something isn’t working — texture, bind, color, flavor drift, salting out, inconsistency, yield. Or better consistency, a new item, a cleaner label, more volume. Bring the problem you’re stuck on.
Product troubleshooting →Core pillars
Five pillars of meat stick and jerky consulting
Idea to production
Nine stages of jerky and meat stick development
Concept & formulation
Stick or jerky, whole-muscle or formed — a formula that has to run.
Cure & clean-label options
Conventional or clean-label cure: the trade-offs, weighed honestly.
Sourcing, spices & co-manufacturer match
Raw material, spice and casing specs; we take you through co-manufacturing.
Validation & shelf-stability support
Getting the process data together on water activity, heat, and shelf life.
Food safety plan & label prep
Organizing your food safety plan and getting label materials ready.
Pilot runs
Small runs that show where formula and process disagree.
Scale-up
Bench to production without the product drifting.
Equipment & line setup
What the product needs from the smokehouse, dryer, and line.
Production & QA launch
First lots, QA records, and a spec for the next shift.
Validation, food safety plan, and label topics are handled case by case.
Products
Working toward meat sticks and jerky that run consistently
Product and process images are representative illustrations, not photos of 6R projects or client products.
Proof · what 6R has done
Real industry experience, not a slide deck.
Zach has spent more than 15 years in meat science and food technology — on formulations, processes, and products that had to run in real plants and hold up on a real shelf. Client work stays confidential, so you won’t see names or formulas here.
Concept to commercial product in about 90 days.
6R has taken product concepts to a commercial product in about 90 days — the absolute minimum, not typical. A lot of variables go into it: your product, your plant or co-man, and the work itself.
How we work together
How working with a meat stick consultant works
No pitch decks and no pressure. Just a straight conversation about your product.
You email
Tell Zach what you’re making and what’s in the way.
Zach replies
He reads it himself and writes back.
We talk
A phone call to understand your product, your goals, and your situation.
We scope it
Together we decide which stages you need. Every project is scoped individually.
We do the work
At the bench, in pilot runs, on your line, or with your co-man — on site or remote.
For plants
Have a plant and need an operating system? We can help with that too.
Widget BOS — a Business Operating System — is designed to help bring your plant’s operations, records, and day-to-day running into one place.
Ready when you are
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Email Zach a few lines about your product and what’s in the way. He reads every one himself.
Founder FAQ
Common questions from jerky and meat stick founders
I’ve never made jerky commercially. Is that okay?
Yes. Founders starting from scratch are a big part of who we work with. The process starts at concept and formulation and walks through all nine stages to a production launch.
Do I need my own plant to start a jerky or meat stick brand?
No. Many founders work with a co-packer or co-manufacturer. Zach takes clients all the way through the co-manufacturing process and can act as your operations agent with the co-man.
How long does it take to go from idea to product on the shelf?
6R has taken product concepts to a commercial product in about 90 days — the absolute minimum, not typical. A lot of variables go into it: your product, your plant or co-man, and the work itself. Email us about your project and we can talk about what affects your timeline.
How much does it cost?
There’s no pricing on this site because every project is different. Every project is scoped individually — email us and we can talk it through.
We already produce. Can you help with just one problem?
Yes. Existing producers usually start at whichever of the nine stages is giving them trouble — formulation, scale-up, line setup, or something else.