Jack Link's, the Minong, Wisconsin-based meat snack brand owned by Link Snacks, Inc., has launched a limited-edition collaboration with Meat Church BBQ, the Texas-founded barbecue brand helmed by pitmaster Matt Pittman, introducing two new jerky SKUs timed to the late-summer grilling window. Both products are available exclusively at select Walmart locations across 48 states while supplies last, with the promotional window closing September 25.
The Products
The collaboration yields two varieties drawn directly from Meat Church's existing rub lineup. Holy Cow Beef Jerky takes its cues from the brand's Texas-style Holy Cow BBQ rub, leaning into a beef-forward, savory profile. Honey Hog Pork Jerky mirrors the Honey Hog BBQ rub, combining smoky notes with a sweet honey finish. The limited shelf window and single-retailer distribution model are consistent with strategies used by snack manufacturers to generate urgency and test consumer appetite for potential permanent additions — though Link Snacks has not signaled plans for a broader rollout.
Retail and Strategic Context
For Link Snacks — whose portfolio spans Jack Link's, Lorissa's Organic Snacks, Golden Island, Peperami, and BiFi across operations in 11 countries — the Walmart placement underscores the retailer's continued importance as a volume driver in the meat snack aisle, a category that has benefited from sustained consumer demand for high-protein, on-the-go snacking. The U.S. meat snack market has posted consistent category growth as consumers prioritize protein content in discretionary snack purchases, making retailer-exclusive, influencer-adjacent collaborations an increasingly common activation tool among category leaders.
Meat Church's distribution reach — built primarily through digital content, award-winning rubs, and competitive barbecue circuits — gives Jack Link's access to a devoted enthusiast segment that skews toward premium food experiences. Holly LaVallie, Senior Vice President of Marketing and R&D at Link Snacks, framed the partnership around flavor credibility: "Taste and flavor are the biggest drivers of snack choice. Protein and other functional benefits matter, but if a snack doesn't taste great, they're not coming back." The comment reflects a broader industry tension between health-forward positioning and the flavor-first demands of mainstream snack consumers.
Pittman, speaking as Meat Church founder, said the two flavors were developed collaboratively to reflect what barbecue enthusiasts value most, though neither party disclosed production volumes, suggested retail pricing, or terms of the licensing arrangement.
What Operators Should Watch
For snack buyers and category managers, the activation is a data point in the ongoing debate over branded collaborations versus in-house flavor innovation. Limited-time offerings anchored to credible flavor authorities — particularly those with large, engaged social audiences — have demonstrated an ability to drive trial without cannibalizing core SKU velocity. Jack Link's existing standing as the No. 1 meat snack brand by its own account gives the collaboration broad shelf visibility; the Walmart exclusivity concentrates sell-through data in a single, measurable retail environment.
Industry observers tracking meat snack category trends and retail collaboration strategies in packaged foods will have a short window to assess whether the Holy Cow and Honey Hog SKUs move fast enough to warrant a more permanent licensing arrangement between the two brands.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
