Butternut Box Review

We receive free products to review and may earn commissions on purchases made through links on this page. Find out more
helloBARK!
By helloBARK!
Updated on 20 January 2023

If you’re trying to find dog meals that are balanced and healthy, you will have almost certainly have thought about home-cooked recipes.

There are an increasing number of dog food delivery companies that cook fresh meals and deliver them right to your doorstep.

By submitting your dog’s vital details, they’re able to customise meals to complement your pet’s age, breed, weight and activity level.

While most of these companies are based in United States, there are a number of UK companies looking to bring a fresh perspective to the dog food industry.

Website: butternutbox.com

Butternut Box is a British company that want to put “food back into dog food”.

In this article, we will take a close look at what recipes Butternut Box offer, their ability to deliver quality meals and naturally, the all important customer reviews.

So let’s get right down to business at start this review of Butternut Box.

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. Our articles and the products featured in them are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems for you and/or your pet. It's always best to consult your vet regarding any health issues your pet may have.

Butternut Box – The Basics

Alaskan Klee Kai Copper with his Butternut Box delivery (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)

Alaskan Klee Kai Copper with his Butternut Box delivery (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)

The first thing we like about Butternut Box is the layout of their website.

Not only does their landing page have four adorable pooches woofing down their home-cooked meals, but the website is easy to navigate.

Having grown tired with United Kingdom’s mass-produced dog food which is made up of waste products, mystery fillers and preservatives, Butternut Box explain on their website that they’ve created 10 healthy recipes using fresh ingredients.

Best dog food delivery
We've picked out the top five leading dog food delivery companies in the UK to help you keep an eye on your pets

These recipes have been created with help from some veterinarian nutritionists to ensure a perfect balance of “top-notch ingredients” and important nutrients for your dog.

Their website claims that even fussy eaters are “gobbling down meals and dogs with regularly upset stomachs are showing a solid improvement”.

They’ve got a green approach to their deliveries and packaging. They try to squeeze as much food into each delivery to reduce the number of deliveries required.

Furthermore, all the elements of their packaging is recyclable such as their boxes, ice packs and WoolCool insulation. So you can feed your dog these balanced and healthy meals while being environmentally friendly.

Let’s have a look at how you can go about placing an order with this British dog food company and learn whether this service lives up to the hype.

How Butternut Box Works

Alaskan Klee Kai Copper and Skye with their Butternut Box delivery (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)

Alaskan Klee Kai Copper and Skye with their Butternut Box delivery (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)

Butternut Box tailor their meals to each individual dog based on their dietary requirements.

You’re asked to complete their nutritional consultation, which takes into account the age, weight, breed, body condition and activity level of your dog to help create their unique meal plan.

We were really impressed with their questionnaire which is very thorough – perhaps the most comprehensive of the consultations that we’ve encountered so far.

RELATED: The five leading dog food delivery companies in the UK

While Butternut Box cover the basics, such as age, weight, breed and activity level, you’re also required to input how many treats your pooch gets a day and what kind of eater your pet is.

Not only that, you’re also given the opportunity to disclose any health concerns or allergies to food, which is a consideration some of their competitors have neglected to ask.

The consultation is really easy to complete with lots of eye catching visuals to help you navigate the form, rather than typing the information into their questionnaire.

While we are impressed with this dog food delivery service so far, let’s take a close look at the recipes on offer at Butternut Box.

Ingredients

Butternut Box recipes (Photo: helloBARK!)

Butternut Box recipes (Photo: helloBARK!)

Butternut Box offer 10 different recipes, which is a good amount of variation.

Chow Down Chicken – Fresh Chicken Breast (40%), Fresh Chicken Liver (20%), Carrots, Sweet Potato, Green Lentils, Red Split Lentils, Peas, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Sage, Cold pressed linseed oil, Brewer’s yeast, Calcium carbonate, Dicalcium phosphate, Magnesium oxide and Minerals.

Beef It Up – Fresh Minced Beef (45%), Ox heart (10%), Ox Liver (5%), Carrots, Sweet Potato, Green Lentils, Red Split Lentils, Peas, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Organic Ground Flaxseed, Cold pressed linseed oil, Rosemary, Brewer’s Yeast, Calcium carbonate, Dicalcium phosphate, Magnesium oxide and Minerals.

RELATED: The five leading dog food delivery companies in the UK

Gobble Gobble Turkey – Fresh Turkey Thighs (60%), Carrots, Sweet potato, Green lentils, Red split lentils, Peas, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Spinach, Organic Ground Flaxseed, Cold pressed linseed oil, Rosemary, Brewer’s Yeast, Calcium carbonate, Dicalcium phosphate, Magnesium oxide and Minerals.

Wham Bam Lamb – Fresh minced Lamb (30%), Fresh Lamb Heart (30%), Carrots, Red Split lentils, Sweet Potato, Green beans, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Organic Ground Flaxseed, Rosemary, Thyme, Turmeric Powder, Brewer’s Yeast, Calcium carbonate, Dicalcium phosphate, Magnesium oxide and Minerals.

Pork This Way – Freshly Prepared Pork 60% (Minced Pork, Pork Heart, Pork Liver), Carrots, Butternut Squash, Red Split Lentils, Green Beans, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brewers Yeast, Minerals, Ground Flaxseed, Dried Sage.

Duo of Duck & Chicken – Freshly Prepared Duck and Chicken (60%, (Min. 26% Duck, 26% Chicken)), Carrots, Butternut Squash, Green Lentils, Red Split Lentils, Green Beans, Cranberries, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brewer’s Yeast, Minerals, Ground Flaxseed, Dried Rosemary, Dried Sage.

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

You’ve Got Game – Freshly Prepared Game 50% (Minced Venison, Wild Boar, Guinea Fowl), Carrots, Butternut Squash, Red Split Lentils, Green Beans, Parsnips, Cranberries, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Pears, Brewer’s Yeast, Minerals, Sunflower Oil, Ground Flaxseed, Dried Thyme, Dried Rosemary.

Salmon To Love – Sustainably Sourced Fish (60% (Min. 26% Salmon, 26% White Fish)), Carrots, Potatoes, Green Beans, Red Split Lentils, Whole Red Lentils, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Milled Chickpeas, Kale, Brewer’s Yeast, Minerals, Sunflower Oil, Dried Dill, Dried Rosemary.

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

Ready Steady Veggie – Freshly Prepared Vegetables (Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Green Beans, Parsnips, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Spinach), Cottage Cheese, Green Lentils, Red Split Lentils, Milled Chickpeas, Potato Protein, Eggs, Cranberries, Flaxseed Oil, Pea Protein, Brewers Yeast, Minerals, Ground Flaxseed, Dried Thyme, Dried Parsley.

Plant Get Enough – Freshly Prepared Vegetables (Carrots, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Parsnips, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Spinach), Pea Protein, Green Lentils, Red Split Lentils, Potato Protein, Cranberries, Flaxseed Oil, Brewers Yeast, Minerals, Ground Flaxseed, Dried Thyme, Dried Parsley.

Butternut Box are very transparent about their array of recipes and provide a brief insight into each to reassure dog owners that their meals all use human grade ingredients and never use preservatives. We really appreciate the transparency.a

What I really like about Butternut Box is their constant evolution of recipes on their menu. When I originally reviewed the company in 2018, they had just three recipes. Now they’ve expanded to 10!

They’ve got a range of recipes to cater to different dogs whether you’ve got an overweight pooch who needs a low fat diet or you’ve got a picky pup who will benefit from rich flavours.

Meal Preparation

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

Like other dog food delivery companies, Butternut Box use easy rip-and-serve packets to make the feeding process simple and straightforward.

There is no messing around with weighing scales or cutlery, you simple empty the customised contents of the packet into your dog’s bowl.

Butternut Box state on their website that it’s a simple three-step process – “open, serve and set their tails to ‘wag'”.

As those who regularly read our website know, rip-and-serve packets are a particular favourites of mine. They make mealtime straightforward with minimal mess.

Butternut Box place one daily portion in each packet and dog owners are required to split the portion into breakfast and dinner for their pooch.

If your dog prefers their food to be warm, you can always run the pouch of food under lukewarm water to heat it a little. By doing so, you enhance the smell.

Price And Delivery

Alaskan Klee Kai Copper with his Butternut Box delivery (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)

Alaskan Klee Kai Copper with his Butternut Box recipes (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)

Given Butternut Box provide a premium service, their home-cooked dog meals don’t come cheap. Having said that, they’re competitively priced within the dog food delivery market and are cheaper than some other big-name options without sacrificing their high-grade ingredients.

Given their meal plans are tailored to each individual dog, the price of Butternut Box does vary. For example, feeding my two Alaskan Klee Kai dogs, who both weigh 11 pounds, would cost £2.08 a day.

All of the meals that we make are pre-portioned into daily servings for your dogs, vacuum sealed in a plastic pouch and frozen.

Our readers can get 50% discount off their first order and 50% discount off their second order by clicking here.

What Are Customers Saying?

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

Butternut Box have an average of 4.9 stars out of 5 based upon over 13,000 reviews on Trustpilot.

Stephanie gave Butternut Box a glowing five-star review.

My dog was such a picky eater, his coat was full and he had terrible gas. Since we have switched to Butternut Box, he is very shiny, happier, is more than excited to eat every meal, his gas is gone and his bowl movements are consistent! He also loves all of the extras and it’s great how personal the boxes are!

Anthea wrote that Butternut Box’s meals smell so good she’s tempted to try.

My pug can be fussy at times and we have had to add toppers and treats to encourage her to eat her usual food. Thought I’d give butternut a try to see if she would like it, on opening the pack she was round my feet sniffing and she devoured the lot. Licking the bowl clean to make sure she got everything. We’ve only tried 3 flavours so far but she loves it, hoping this will continue. I actually feel like I’m home cooking for her, the food smells amazing, tempted to try it myself.

RELATED: The five leading dog food delivery companies in the UK

Jackie added that she wished she had found Butternut Box years ago.

My Cocker Spaniel has been on Butternut Box since the summer and she loves the food. I wish I had found you years ago. She has delicate stomach but this food has been perfect for her. Her coat looks lovely, her skin is calm and most importantly for me she never scavenges anymore. Overall she has been so much better on Butternut Box.

Our Verdict

Alaskan Klee Kai Copper and Skye with their Butternut Box delivery (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)

Alaskan Klee Kai Copper and Skye with their Butternut Box delivery (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)

We’ve tried Butternut Box meals on my two Alaskan Klee Kai, Copper and Skye. Their breed have a reputation for being notoriously fussy – and my dogs are no different.

When they started to turn their noses up at their regular kibble, I jumped at the chance to try Butternut Box to see whether they would embrace these freshly prepared meals.

Butternut Box have been a big hit in my house. My dogs are motivated at mealtime, clean their bowls, lick each other’s bowls and sit by the fridge whenever it’s opened in the hope of getting more. This is something they’ve never done previously.

I like how Butternut Box offer six different recipes so I was able to mix and match to keep my dogs guessing about which recipe they’ll be having for dinner. As I mentioned above, I’m impressed to see Butternut Box consistently expand their menu to offer different protein sources to British canines.

Butternut Box have an eco-friendly approach to their packaging, which makes me feel good about feeding Butternut Box to my dogs. I was able to recycle their boxes, ice packs and insulation. I even kept a couple of their ice packs in the freezer for any potential ankle injuries, which I’m prone to!

Of all the dog food delivery companies that I’ve reviewed in the UK (and the USA), Butternut Box easily offer the best incentive to give their balanced and complete meals a try.

You can get 50% off your first box and 50% off your second box if you sign up to Butternut Box by clicking here.

Any Negatives?

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

The fact that the vast majority of the reviews we found online were positive is a good sign.

Butternut Box provide a premium service so their meals will cost a little more than traditional dog food options.

However, the hope is that the long-term health benefits will outweigh the cost. In my experience, it certainly has.

Is This The Best Dog Food Delivery Service?

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

Unlike most of the other companies we have reviewed, Butternut Box are exclusively based in United Kingdom.

Their website is easy to navigate, there is a great variety of recipes and deliveries arrive fresh every two weeks.

Having fed my dogs these meals, Butternut Box proved to be a resounding success. They’re amongst the leading options in the dog food delivery market.

You can see our updated dog food delivery guide via the link below.

RELATED: The five leading dog food delivery companies in the UK

Anything Else To Consider?

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

It is a good idea to consult with your local veterinarian before switching your dog onto a new diet.

Some dogs have sensitive stomachs and transitioning them onto new dog food can be a tricky business.

We like that Butternut Box provide customers with advice on how to do this.

However, this shouldn’t be a substitute for consulting your vet that has previous experience with your pet.

Butternut Box Conclusion – Our Final Thoughts

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

Butternut Box (Photo: hellobark.com)

So we’ve come to the end of our Butternut Box review.

We’ve guided you through the ordering process, talked about the different recipes on the menu, their delivery and price.

We consider Butternut Box to be a great option available right now for dog owners based in the United Kingdom.

Their attention to detail and variety of meals really impressed us.

We love that Butternut Box’s human grade meals are all sourced within UK and we appreciate their transparency when it comes to the ingredients used.

Don’t forget you can get 50% off your first box and 50% off your second box if you sign up to Butternut Box by clicking here.

Best dog food delivery
We've picked out the top five leading dog food delivery companies in the UK to help you keep an eye on your pets