Real Snacks Are Kosher and Based in Chicago

real snacks chitribe noah shaffer

Meet Noah Shaffer, CEO of Real Snacks

The goal actually is not to primarily service the Kosher-eating community (although of course, that is a goal), rather to bring healthier meat snacks to everyone.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Skokie, IL. 

real snacks chitribe noah shaffer

Where did you go to school?

I went to Solomon Schechter for elementary school, Ida Crown Jewish Academy for high school, I spent a year at Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusalem, and Yeshiva University after that. I didn’t finish and get my degree, though, as I left school to build a technology product for Hedge Funds and other investment firms.

What did you do Jewish growing up?

I actually converted – with my family – at a young age, and I think I can say pretty confidently that Judaism and Jewish education changed my life for the better. I have spent years in all walks of Jewish life (Reform, Conservative, Orthodox) and each one was formative for me.

What do you do Jewish now?

My wife Shira and I keep a Kosher home, celebrate holidays, keep Shabbat (a huge help in decompressing from busy weeks!), etc.

What does Jewish food mean to you?

I have always found that Judaism places a really healthy emphasis on food and specifically, sharing food with others. It always has a very communal and accepting aura to it, for me. Beef sticks may not be a meal deserving of a white table cloth, but I do feel confident that they can inspire some sort of community for healthy lifestyles, both physically and interpersonally. 


What is Real Snacks?

real snacks chitribe noah shaffer

Tell us more about this Kosher meat stick made locally in Chicago. Learn more>>

Real Snacks is a brand of meat snacks! We launched a couple of months ago, and have 4 varieties.  The company itself was actually founded over a decade ago to provide Kosher Fresh Beef to retailers across the country.

Now we’ve transitioned to being a primarily shelf-stable meat snack company. The goal actually is not to primarily service the Kosher-eating community (although of course, that is a goal), rather to bring healthier meat snacks to everyone.

Kosher beef sticks are available in other cities through a couple of other brands, although those are few and far between, and not generally nationally distributed.

Has producing Kosher meat and delivering them been especially challenging during the COVID pandemic?

The entire meat industry was impacted significantly by the COVID pandemic. There was, unfortunately, a national shortage of beef for a while, which drove up prices and limited supply.

It seems that we’re past the worst of it as meat prices returned closer to their norms. Of course, you really don’t know anything these days.. We could all wake up to a different story tomorrow!

Where can we get these Kosher Chicago Beef Sticks?

real snacks chitribe noah shaffer

You can always buy online on our website real-snacks.com! We’re beginning to enter into retail partnerships locally (at places like Tony’s Fresh Market) and nationally (at retailers like Piggly Wiggly).

What is YOUR favorite flavor?

Garlic and Herb! Followed closely by the Jalapeno-Cranberry.


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Noah Shaffer

Noah Shaffer