Have you ever taken a close look at the ingredients in your dog’s store-bought dry food?
Most pet parents will be accustomed to buying their dog’s kibble from the local supermarket as part of their weekly shop.
However, a lot of the traditional dog food brands use fillers and nasties in their dog food that aren’t necessarily the healthiest form of pet nutrition.
I was one of these dog owners buying my Alaskan Klee Kai’s food at the supermarket until they started to suffer with digestive issues.
Their illness prompted me to look more closely at what I was feeding my dogs – to my shock their dry food was made up of additives and fillers.
I started on my quest to find a healthier way to feed my Klee Kai that would promote a healthy lifestyle and take care of their nutritional needs.
There are a growing number of custom dry food companies in the UK that provide balanced and fresh kibble tailored to meet your dog’s needs.
In this article I’m going to take a look at some of the best dry dog food options in the UK.
Editor's note: The content on this website is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as veterinary, medical or professional advice. The content of our articles does not constitute veterinary advice. It’s always best to speak with your vet or a certified pet nutritionist before making any changes to your pet's diet or feeding routine.
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Current Top Rated Dry Food UK
| Rating | Summary | Website | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure |
|
• Air-dried food • Backed by vets • Customised | Buy Now | |
| Barking Heads |
|
• Clean And Natural • No Nasties • Subscription Savings | Buy Now | |
| Tails |
|
• Scooper • Flexibility • Dry and wet food | Buy Now |
How We Choose The Best Dry Food For Dogs
Labrador being fed dry food (Photo: Adobe Stock)
• Fresh Ingredients – If you’re going to opt for a premium option within the dry dog food market, you want the company to use fresh ingredients sourced from local suppliers.
• Transparency – As I mentioned above, some big-name brands aren’t transparent about what goes into the kibble. That’s why it’s import custom dry food companies list all of the ingredients in their recipes to give pet parents peace of mind that their dogs are only eating good stuff.
• Customization – While not all of the dog food companies listed in this article will tailor their food to meet your dog’s specific needs, some dry food dog companies will take into account your dog’s age, weight, activity level and more.
• Vet formulated – Something I always look out for is the input of vets in the creation of recipes. We like to see that tailored kibble companies offer recipes that are vet formulated.
• Recipe variety – If you’ve got a picky eater like me, you’ll know how important it is to have a varied recipe. The more protein sources, the better for dog owners to keep even the fussiest hounds guessing at mealtime.
• Ordering experience – While some of these brands you may be able to pick up at your local pet store, I find it’s more convenient to sit at your computer at home and get the meals delivered to your door. If you’re like me, it’s vital that these dog food companies have a simple ordering experience on their websites.
• Price – Your dog will be eating higher quality food so you can expect to pay more than you would for traditional dry dog food options found at the supermarket. Having said that, it shouldn’t be overpriced.
• Home delivery – In the midst of a pandemic, it’s never been more important to have your dog food shipped to your door. For some dog owners, this will be the number one reason to adopt a custom dry food company’s services.
Best Dry Food For Dogs UK
1) Pure Pet Food
Website: www.purepetfood.co.uk
Alaskan Klee Kai with Pure Pet Food (Photo: www.hellobark.com)
Pure Pet Food provide natural dog food to British canines in order to promote a healthy and long life.
They’re air-dried dog food is made using natural ingredients that our sourced from local suppliers.
Pure Pet Food will customize their air-dried dog food to meet your pooch’s specific needs.
While Pure Pet Food create air-dried dog food, you will need to mix it with water before feeding to your pup.
Main Points
Alaskan Klee Kai with their Pure Pet Food (Photo: www.hellobark.com)
• Naturally Air-Dried – Pure Pet Food gently air-dry 100% natural, human-grade ingredients to remove moisture and lock in the nutrients. Their website adds that their non-destructive air-drying maintains ingredients’ nutritional integrity.
• Personalized For Your Dog – By entering key details about your dog, Pure Pet Food can tailor their meals to create a healthy personalized plan to meet your dog’s specific needs.
• Dog Food Delivered – Once you’ve got your meal plan sorted, Pure Pet Food will deliver their meals on a regular, flexible plan. Their website reassures pet parents that you’ll have the ability to cancel at any time.
• Take Control – Pure Pet Food write on their website that they want to give dog owners the chance to take control of their pet’s health rather than rely on store-bought dry food. As humans, we try to eat healthy so why shouldn’t we allow our dogs to enjoy balanced and complete meals.
• Backed By Vets – You can have peace of mind knowing that your dog is eating recipes that have been formulated by nutritionists and approved by vets.
Recipes
Pure Pet Food scooper and air-dried food (Photo: www.hellobark.com)
Pure Pet Food offer eight different recipes plus a vegi plus mixer to accommodate even the pickiest dogs.
• Wholesome Chicken – Chicken Breast & Thigh (60%), Carrot, Parsnip, Sweet Potato, Cabbage, Apple, Green Bean, Cranberry, Linseed, Chicory Root, Brewers Yeast, Vitamins and Minerals.
• Turkey Terrific – Turkey Breast & Thigh (20%), Beef Liver (10%), Parsnip, Potato, Apple, Carrot, Cabbage, Green Beans, Brewers Yeast and Minerals.
• Duck Delight – Duck Breast & Thigh (30%), Beef Liver (5%), Carrot, Potato, Apple, Parsnip, Cabbage, Green Beans, Brewers Yeast and Minerals.
• Chicken Dinner – Chicken Breast & Thigh (25%), Potato, Parsnip, Carrot, Apple, Cabbage, Green Beans, Brewers Yeast and Minerals.
• Fish Supper – White Fish (30%), Egg (15%), Carrot, Sweet Potato, Parsnip, Spinach, Coconut and Minerals.
• Brilliant Beef – Beef and Beef Liver (50%), Carrot, Parsnip, Celery, Coconut and Minerals.
• Chunky Chicken – Chicken Breast & Thigh (50%), Carrot, Parsnip, Spinach, Coconut and Minerals.
• Chicken Delicious – Chicken Breast & Thigh (40%), Carrot, Potato, Parsnip, Apple, Cabbage, Green Beans, Brewers Yeast and Minerals.
Price And Delivery
Pure Pet Food provide premium air-dried dog food for dogs in the UK. So it’ll cost more than traditional dry food brands that you’ll spot at your local supermarket. You’re paying for high quality ingredients, customised meals and your dog’s food being delivered to your door.
I signed up to Pure Pet Food to see how much it would cost to feed my 10-pound Alaskan Klee Kai dog. I was quoted £61 a month which equates to £1.70 a day. This is less than the price of a cup of coffee!
Pure Pet Food offer flexible deliveries so you won’t have to worry about picking up dog food on your weekly shop. They won’t tie you into a long-term subscription plan. You can cancel at any time.
Packaging And Preparation
Pure Pet Food box (Photo: www.hellobark.com)
Pure Pet Food store their air-dried dog food in resealable bags. You’ll be provided with two scoopers for the food and the water. Pure Pet Food provide a return label so you can return their bags once you’ve collected five. We love that Pure Pet Food have adopted this eco-friendly approach.
You’ll be provided with instructions on how to create your dog’s food in your first delivery. For instance, I was told to use one scoop of food, one scoop of water and mix it together. It’s easy to do and you can see some of the natural ingredients in the food.
Our Verdict
Alaskan Klee Kai with Pure Pet Food (Photo: www.hellobark.com)
My dogs were sent some Pure Pet Food samples to try. My dogs are used to home-cooked style meals so I was intrigued to see how they’d react to this air-dried food.
They really enjoyed Pure Pet Food’s chicken offering, licking their bowls clean. I found their instructions easy to follow so you won’t have any difficulty feeding your dogs this custom dry food brand.
I was impressed by how much my dogs loved Pure Pet Food given they’re usually quite picky, so this tailored dry dog food company got a big thumbs up from my dogs and me.
What Customers Are Saying
Pure Pet Food get an average rating of 4.8 stars out of 5 based upon over 1,200 reviews on independent review website Trustpilot (at the time of writing).
Marie has no qualms about recommending Pure based upon her experience.
My dog has Pancreatitis and has to eat low fat food and just loves this food. I am able to make up as much or as little as he needs each day, with no concerns about wastage or spoiling. This company also has excellent customer service. I have contacted them on a few occasions for different reasons and the response is quick, easy to understand and professional.
Helen has enjoyed success with Pure with her fussy eaters.
This food is the solution we were looking for. It is the comfortable midway between a dry and wet food. All the ease of a dry food, no smell or mess yet all the pleasure for the dog of a wet food. It is the only food that our small, fussy dog will eat. We were very worried about her weight before we tried pure and now she is a healthy size and loving life!
Hazel is happy to pay extra for Pure given the quality of the food.
This food is the solution we were looking for. It is the comfortable midway between a dry and wet food. All the ease of a dry food, no smell or mess yet all the pleasure for the dog of a wet food. It is the only food that our small, fussy dog will eat. We were very worried about her weight before we tried pure and now she is a healthy size and loving life! The food itself is super convenient for me to feed and appears to be super tasty if the enthusiasm with which it is treated is anything to go by.
Any Negatives?
Pure Pet Food will cost more than your regular store-bought dry food but it contains natural and whole ingredients free from any additives and nasties.
This particular type of air-dried dog food does require some effort on your part as you’ll have to prepare your canine companion’s meals. Having said that, it’s easy and straightforward to do.
Conclusion
Pure Pet Food scooper (Photo: www.hellobark.com)
Pure Pet Food are one of the leading providers of customized dry food in the UK.
I love that they take great care to ensure all their ingredients are natural so you can have peace of mind knowing your dog is getting the very best in pet nutrition.
Pure Pet Food can tailor your dog’s meals to meet their specific needs, whether they need to gain or lose weight.
In this Coronavirus world, you can enjoy the ultimate convenience of getting your dog’s tailored dry food shipped direct to your door.
2) Barking Heads
Website: barkingheads.co.uk
Barking Heads are a dry food company that operate in the UK and can be found in some supermarkets.
Unlike some traditional dog food brands, Barking Heads provide British dog owners with clean and natural pet food.
While some of your typical grocery brands use fillers and fats for substance or nasty additives for fillers, Barking Heads only use natural ingredients.
One thing to note is that Barking Heads don’t offer the opportunity to tailor their meals to your canine’s specific needs unlike other dry dog food brands in this article.
Main Points
Clean And Natural Doggie Dinners – Barking Heads offer dog food that is filled with high quality and natural ingredients.
High In Quality Meat And Veggies – This dog food company only use the best, natural, meat from free run animals in their recipes.
No Fillers Or Nasty Ingredients – You can have peace of mind knowing that Barking Head’s recipes are free from additives and artificial flavours.
Taste Testers – Barking Heads promise to deliver tail waggingly tasty meals given their team of in-house taste testers make sure they’re as tasty as can be.
Recipes
Barking Heads (Photo: hellobark.com)
Barking Heads offer nine different recipes for dogs in the UK.
These range from Bowl Lickin’ Chicken, Chop Lickin’ Lamb, Pooched Salmon, Fish-n-delish, Doggylicious Duck, Top-Dog Turkey, Puppy Days, Fat Dog Slim and Golden Years (for senior dogs).
They explain on their website that most of their recipes contain at least 55% meat, garden vegetables and fruits, healthy oils, vitamins and minerals, tasty herbs and seasoning.
Price And Delivery
Barking Heads offer a range of different recipes listed above. Pet parents can choose a range of dog food bags of various sizes: 1kg, 2kg, 12kg and 18kg. A 1kg bag of Bowl Lickin’ Chicken costs £6.49, while a 18kg bag costs £85.99. When you spend £30, you can get free delivery.
While Barking Heads don’t offer a custom plan for your dog, they do offer a subscription plan that can save you money in the long run. If you opt for this, you can enter your dog’s weight and their activity level so Barking Heads can recommend a frequency for your dog. So in some ways, it’s tailored to your dog to a degree. If you sign up to a subscription plan for Barkin Heads, you can save over £10.
Preparation And Packaging
Barking Heads will provide a feeding guideline that you’ll need to follow to make sure you give your dog the right amount of food.
Your dog’s food will be stored in bags that are resealable in order to keep their kibble fresh for as long as possible.
Our Verdict
Mara the Golden Retriever with Barking Heads (Photo: hellobark.com)
My dogs were sent a range of Barking Heads recipes to try. Initially, they were really excited about the dry food but my dogs are extremely picky so they became less interested after a few weeks.
Having said that, we also trialled Barking Heads with a Golden Retriever called Mara. She loved her Barking Heads food, gobbling down this healthy, whole food dry food.
So if your dog isn’t picky like Mara, you won’t go wrong with Barking Heads. If you’ve got fussy eaters like my Alaskan Klee Kai, you may want to try a dry dog food brand that goes a little extra to customize meals and provide different textures.
What Customers Are Saying
Barking Heads gets an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars based upon over 1,700 reviews on independent review website Trustpilot.
Natalie is an advocate for Barking Head’s subscription service.
My dog loves barking heads he always finishes his bowl whether it be Pooched Salmon or Bowl Lickin Chicken! He often has compliments on his shiny coat so I think that must be a sign that barking heads is good quality food. I have recently opted for subscription service which communicates clearly when batch has been dispatched etc. Highly recommend!
Dawn revealed that her Jack Russell Terrier loves Barking Heads.
Jake our Terrier is a senior with epilepsy and we have always maintained a varied and healthy diet. Barking Heads has proved to be a big hit – the bowl has never been so clean! Combined with an easy to negotiate website, good value and efficient service – what’s not to like!
Andrew endorsed Barking Head’s subscription service.
Possibly the best dry and wet food for your cats and dogs money can buy. I buy direct from the company who also offer reduced prices for regular orders. Everything is just so simple, once a month I get the my order delivered without having to lift a finger…what can be easier! The food is really good and contains no rubbish like most other brands. I use, senior dog wet and dry and wow has it helped my old arthritic dog , he now bounds around for a short while.
Any Negatives?
While Barking Heads offer a subscription service that does require some details about your dog, it isn’t tailored specifically to meet your pup’s needs. So if you’re looking for a truly customized meal plan, you may prefer to go for a different brand.
Conclusion
Barking Heads is a good option for dog owners in the UK.
If you’re looking to make the switch to a dry dog food company that use natural, wholesome ingredients, you won’t go wrong with Barking Heads.
Having said that, if you’ve got picky eaters like me, you may find Barking Heads aren’t the best option for you.
It’s encouraging to see that Barking Heads are transparent about their recipes that don’t contain any additives or nasties.
You can also make a big saving by signing up to their subscription service.
3) Tails
Website: www.tails.com
Copper and Skye with their Tails dog food (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
Tails are striving to make British dogs and dog owners happy.
They create unique kibble cooked just for your canine companion so your four-legged friend gets dry food tailored to their specific needs.
Tails write on their website that their customized kibble is the perfect balance of meat, vegetables and minerals.
They’ll ship your dog’s tailored dry food direct to your door so you won’t have to worry about picking up kibble at the supermarket ever again.
Main Points
• Tailored Dog Food – Tails will customize your dog’s kibble based upon their age, breed, health and lifestyle. Tails have an algorithm that creates a custom meal plan based upon the details entered in their questionnaire.
• Vet Formulated – They write on their website that vets and nutritionists choose each ingredient for the specific nutrients it provides so you dog gets the right balance of protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
• Quality Assured – Tails explain that they’re constantly checking for freshness and taste to ensure each of their blends meets their high standards. Their website explains that better ingredients means tastier food and happier dogs.
• Flexible Plan – You won’t be tied into a long-term plan with Tails. You can cancel at any time. Tails are confident your dog will love their dry food so much that they won’t want to cancel.
Recipes
Tails go into great detail on their website about the ingredients contained in their recipes. They use meat and fish to provide a natural source of protein and fatty acids. Their meals contain lots of root vegetables and wholegrains that provide a sources of carbohydrates for energy, fibre to aid digestion. Tails include exact vitamins and minerals they need for everything from immune defence to joint care and digestion.
Every dog will get a slightly different recipe based upon the details entered in Tails’ sign-up questionnaire. So once you’ve provided Tails with information about your pup, they’ll create a custom meal plan with different protein sources.
Price And Delivery
Tails will create a recipe that is unique to your dog, so you can expect to pay a little more than you would for traditional kibble purchased at your local supermarket or pet store.
You can’t really compare your Tails subscription with a friend because their meal plans are created with your dog’s specific requirements in mind. Having said that, to give you an idea, feeding my two Alaskan Klee Kai a mixture of dry and wet food costs me £57 a month.
Tails will deliver your food to your door so you won’t have to step outside in order to feed your canine companion balanced, complete, customised, fresh dry dog food. It couldn’t be easier!
Preparation And Packaging
Tails will provide clear feeding instructions in your first delivery. They provide a deconstructed scooper that you’ll have to put together in order to get the right portions for your dog. Once you’ve slotted the sides together, feeding your dog will be simple at mealtime.
The customised scooper means you won’t overfeed or underfeed your dog. You can get your portions spot on every time you get get your’s dinner ready.
Tails write on their website that 85% of their packaging is recycling, which is a good effort but some dog food delivery companies only use 100% recyclable packaging so there’s still work to do!
Our Verdict
My Alaskan Klee Kai were given the opportunity to try some of the dry food that Tails offer British dogs. I was impressed by the thorough guidelines that were included in their first delivery.
It was really use to put the scooper together thanks to the step-by-step guide provided by Tails. With regards to my taste testers, I had a hard time finding the right recipe for them.
To Tails’ credit, their customer service team were extremely helpful as we looked to find the right protein source for my Klee Kai. We eventually settled on lamb flavour mixed with a little wet food.
What Customers Are Saying
Tails get an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars based upon nearly 24,000 reviews on independent website Trustpilot.
Maria is over the moon that she made the switch to Tails.
We’ve been using Tails since June and honestly, I don’t think I will ever go back to store bought food. My old girl loves her new food and I can already see an improvement in her general well being. With normal food, my dog would eat it in seconds and get an upset tummy, but now with a mix of dry and wet food from Tails, she will take her time and really enjoy her food. Best part about it is that it’s all portion controlled with the scoop given
Elmarshall has no regrets about ditching the store-bought food.
My dog Mia had really bad digestive problems. She was getting sick and didn’t normal bowel movements. She had been going to the vets for almost 2 years to figure out what was wrong with her. After changing to Tails, she is so much better, always energetic, normal bowel movements and no more being sick. Turns out it was the cheap dog food from the supermarkets! I couldn’t recommend a better company for dog food, it come straight to your door and she gets a milk bone every month which she loves!
Penny wrote that she was thrilled to finally find something her fussy Cockapoo liked.
My Cockapoo is the most fussiest eater. I’ve spent years’ trying to find food which is good for her and that she’ll enjoy. She absolutely loves Tails dry food, I mix her two favourite flavours to give a blend she really enjoys.
Any Negatives?
While my dogs initially had a lukewarm response to Tails, it’s clear to see by the sheer volume of satisfied customers that they’re doing a great job feeding British dogs natural and whole dry food.
These customised kibble meals will cost more than traditional dry food but there’s no doubting that your dog will be eating complete and balanced meals tailored to their specific needs.
The only negative is that their packaging isn’t 100% recyclable, which matters to pet parents like me who want to adopt a healthier diet for my dogs but do so in an environmentally friendly way.
Conclusion
Tails are a great option for dog owners in the UK.
Their questionnaire is extremely thorough so they’ll cover all the bases. Tails really get to know all the minute details about your canine companion.
Once they’ve learned all the key information about your dog, they’ll ship your pup’s fresh kibble to your door so you won’t have to worry about picking up dry food at the supermarket ever again.
Our readers can get 75% off their first order of Tails when they click this link.
Anything Else To Consider?
If you’re thinking about switching your dog onto a new kibble diet, it’s a good idea to speak to your vet before you do so.
Your vet may have some recommendations or offer your guidance on how to transition your pooch onto their new food.
The fresh dry food companies mentioned in this article have good customer service teams that can also help with the transition process and field any questions you may have.
Wrapping Things Up – Our Final Thoughts
We’ve reached the end of our best custom dry food for dogs in the UK.
Our top pick based upon our experience feeding all three dry food brands is Pure Pet Food.
I really like that I could see the natural ingredients in their recipes. I found the air-dried process to be extremely encouraging given it removes moisture and locks in the nutritional goodness.
Priced competitively, my fussy Alaskan Klee Kai really enjoyed Pure Pet Food’s customised meals, licking their bowls clean.
Tails customise your dog’s meals thanks to their questionnaire that pet parents will be required to complete.
They’ve got a range of recipes and provide a customised scooper to allow dog owners to stick to the right portions. So they’re also a good option for fussy eaters like my dogs.
Barking Heads, on the other hand, could be a good option for pet parents who don’t own fussy eaters and want to save money on a subscription plan.
This dog food company take great care to only use natural ingredients so you can have peace of mind there won’t be any nasties in your dog’s food.
