It all started with an unexpected conversation during a massage.
In March 2018, Alex, who'd always had a passion for cooking amazing meals for friends and family (and had dabbled in meal prep and private catering), learned that his masseuse was making beef jerky for local fitness trainers. Intrigued, Alex began experimenting in his own kitchen, applying his culinary skills to create something completely different. When his friends couldn't stop raving about his jerky - that was the lightbulb moment. This wasn't just good; this was something special.
Brotherhood
As requests kept rolling in, Alex knew he was onto something but wanted his high school buddy’s help thinking it through. Enter Brian, someone Alex trusted completely and who had the business smarts to help him figure things out. Despite having moved to the West Coast, Brian was there to guide Alex through the possibility of turning this kitchen hobby into something real. Fast forward to late 2020, when a casual conversation at one of Alex’s favourite restaurants, Mamajoun, brought in the third musketeer. Alex struck up a chat with the owner and friend, Mihran, about his jerky venture and asked about the restaurant's signature soujouk spices. Mihran generously shared his spices which led to their signature Original Spicy flavour, and Mama's Boyz Jerky was officially born - a nod to both Mamajoun and their brotherhood.
Bold, Punchy & Ooof!
The trio's mission was clear: let their love for global cuisine tell new stories through jerky. Drawing from their multicultural heritage and countless kitchen experiments, they reimagined jerky with flavours they actually craved - the richness of soujouk spices in their Original Spicy, the vibrant sweet-and-savory notes of Korean BBQ, and their own Canadian twist with Spicy Caesar. These aren't your grandfather's jerky flavours, and their bold approach resonated with people hungry for something that actually surprised their taste buds.
Bold, Punchy & Ooof!
As their following grew, their limited-edition Dill Pickle flavour even got featured on Breakfast Television during their coverage of PickleFest. Word kept spreading, orders kept coming, and in 2025, with their popularity surging, they made the big move to a larger facility. Three friends, one random massage conversation, and a restaurateur's secret spices - that's how Mama's Boyz became the jerky brand that's changing how people think about jerky.