Ilse van Staden and partner Alannah
Ilse van Staden and partner Alannah
Our Diaspora

Podcast | Ilse van Staden

Ilse van Staden is a rugby player, butcher, chef, language teacher and biltong maker from South Africa and living in Northern Ireland.

Since moving to Northern Ireland in 2011 she has played for Ulster Rugby, and represented Ireland in the Six Nations as prop.

Along with her partner Alannah, Ilse also set up Ke Nako: an award-winning artisan food business that specialises in South African cuisine. Fast-forward a few years later and their high-protein biltong has earned them a cult-like following across the UK — and is without a shadow of a doubt one of the tastiest things you can ever try.

In this edition Matt and Ilse chat about:

  • The art of butchery.
  • How meat can be sustainable.
  • Managing playing professional rugby while running a business.
  • Thinking in two languages.
  • Moving from South Africa to Northern Ireland.
  • The greatest highs/lows that Ilse has experienced along the way.

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