Dog food delivery companies are providing British dogs with the chance to eat balanced and healthy meals.
Businesses that provide this service are looking to change the way we feed our dogs and improve their diet and overall health.
They use human-grade ingredients in meals formulated by vets that are tailored to meet your canine companion’s specific needs.
These meals are delivered directly to your doorstep so you won’t have to worry about picking up dog food at the supermarket ever again.
Butternut Box and Different Dog are two of the leading dog food delivery companies in the UK.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at both businesses to see their respective approaches to feeding the nation’s dogs.
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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Butternut Box – The Basics
Website: butternutbox.com
Alaskan Klee Kai Copper and Skye with their Butternut Box delivery (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
Butternut Box are looking to provide a modern approach to feeding your four-legged furry friend.
They provide freshly prepared dog food just like you cooked the meals at home. They don’t use any nasties, so just lots of goodness that will get tails wagging.
Butternut Box write on their website that all their recipes are formulated by experts in veterinarian nutrition so you can be rest assured these meals contain all the minerals and nutrients your dog needs.
Their recipes contain 60 per cent meat and 40 per cent vegetables, while they’re cooked complete and gently to ensure tasty food for your precious pet.
Butternut Box explain online that their meals are vet approved, grain free and made in the UK. They add that their recipes are complete and gently cooked to perfection.
They offer 10 different recipes: Chow Down Chicken, Beef It Up, Gobble Gobble Turkey, Wham Bam Lamb, Pork This Way and more! They’ve recently added You’ve Got Game and Ready Steady Veggie proving that Butternut Box are on a mission to provide meals to satisfy every dog’s taste buds.
Butternut Box use pre-portioned pouches so you won’t have to worry about overfeeding your dog, especially when you see your pup is more motivated at mealtime.
They deliver the meals to your home at a time that suits you, using lots of ice and insulation to ensure the meals arrive in perfect condition.
It’s worth nothing that Butternut Box deliver their meals in a green and sustainable way. They use insulation and packaging that can be recycled so you can feed your dog balanced and complete meals as well as protecting the planet’s health.
They’ve recently redesigned their food pouches to contain more food to be more efficient and reduce packaging, proving that this is a company that really does care about having a sustainable approach to their subscription service.
Different Dog – The Basics
Website: differentdog.com
Alaskan Klee Kai with Different Dog (Photo: lifewithkleekai / Instagram)Alaskan Klee Kai with Different Dog (Photo: lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
Different Dog want to change your dog’s life by serving them real food thanks to their hand-cooked recipes.
Their website claims that they’re the first dog food company to cook different recipes each week by hand, with fresh natural ingredients.
If you’ve got a picky eater, you’ll certainly be able to find a Different Dog recipe given they’ve got a lot of variety. It ranges from Comforting Chicken, Shepherd’s Pie, Beef and Berries, Pawfect Picnic and much more.
You will need to enter key details about your pet to let their feeding algorithm work its magic. When it comes to developing the recipes, Different Dog have called upon the expertise of vets to help.
Their food is frozen to keep it fresh before it’s delivered to your door, ready to serve for your canine companion. The meals are packed in biodegradable packaging and delivered in an insulated box.
Different Dog use compostable containers to store their meals, which is an eco-friendly approach. However, their meals aren’t pre-portioned, so you’ll need to follow their guidelines on how much to feed your dog and show discipline to stick to it!
Their new packaging is made from reclaimed and rapidly renewable sugarcane pulp – a by-product remaining after the juice has been extracted that would otherwise be burned. They’re microwave safe and are certified home compostable. All the rest of their delivery packing is either home compostable or recyclable.
Things To Consider When Picking Dog Food Delivery
Alaskan Klee Kai with Different Dog (Photo: lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
So you’re thinking about switching to a dog food delivery company but you’re still a little hesitant. Here are some things to consider.
• Ingredients – These companies use fresh ingredients to create their recipes. We’re talking fresh fruit and vegetables so you won’t have to worry about any unwanted ingredients that you could find in traditional dog food options.
• Recipe Variety – For those with picky eaters like my dogs, you’ll appreciate having the option to choose between different recipes. This gives you the flexibility to keep your dog intrigued at mealtime.
• Expert Input – Most of the leading British dog food delivery companies use experts to formulate their meals. So you can be assured their balanced and complete without missing any necessary minerals or nutrients that your dog needs.
• Packaging and Preparation – Ideally, you want the packaging be efficient in the sense that it doesn’t take up a lot of room in your freezer. If you’ve signed up to a dog food delivery company, you want feeding your dog to be stress free. So it’s important these companies make instructions simple to follow or use pre-portioned packaging and containers.
• Ordering Experience – Not everyone is a whizz at computers so it’s important that the ordering experience isn’t unnecessarily complicated. You’ll have to fill out a short questionnaire to give these companies the key details about your canine companion.
• Price – This is a premium service so you should be prepared to pay a little extra. Hopefully, the long-term benefits will save you money. I know I’ve saved money on trip to the vet since making the switch to a dog food delivery company.
• Delivery schedule – Dog parents can have busy lives that require flexibility. These meals need to arrive at a time that is convenient for you. If you’re out, they need to have sufficient insulation to ensure the meals retain their integrity until you arrive home.
Butternut Box vs Different Dog – Our Recommendation
Alaskan Klee Kai Copper with his Butternut Box recipes (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
So we’ve come to the big question: Butternut Box or Different Dog?
In our opinion, these are the two standout companies in the dog food delivery market but we feel Butternut Box is the clear winner.
We love that Butternut Box have 10 tasty recipes to offer your four-legged friend. They’ve increased the menu since I first reviewed their service in 2018, taking the menu from three recipes to 10 recipes. They’re transparent about all the goodness that goes into their customised meals.
A big bonus about Butternut Box is their pre-portioned pouches. Speaking from experience, this is the most convenient method for dog owners. You simply defrost, rip open before pouring the meals straight into your canine companion’s bowl.
Butternut Box have an eco-friendly approach to their packaging. You can recycle their boxes, ice packs and unique WoolCool insulation so you can feed your dog these healthy meals and leave a green paw print on the planet.
They’re easy to store in your freezer due to their compact nature unlike big bags or pots of dog food.
Based upon my Alaskan Klee Kai’s details, I would have to pay £66.06 a month to feed my two mini huskies Butternut Box meals. This is significantly cheaper than Different Dog, who provided me with a quote of £132 a month. So Butternut Box is £65.94 cheaper but their food is still high quality and is customised to meet my Klee Kai’s needs.
Different Dog are another great option for British pet parents. They’ve got an unrivaled selection of recipes that they update on a regular basis. You’ll enjoy looking at the menu and picking which meals you think your dog will love.
Their tailored meals are hand cooked so you know that great care has gone into creating your dog’s food. They use containers rather than pre-portioned packaging, so you will need to make sure you exact some portion control! It can be more challenging to find space in your freezer for all their pots.
Like I already mentioned, Butternut Box is a significantly cheaper option than Different Dog but not at the expense of quality. We’ve tried samples from Butternut Box and Different Dog – and they were both a big hit with my mini huskies.
Overall, we really believe in both Butternut Box and Different Dog as fantastic options for dog parents in the UK. You won’t go wrong by selecting either dog food delivery company but Butternut Box gets the nod from us.
What Are Customers Saying About Butternut Box And Different Dog?
Butternut Box recipes (Photo: helloBARK!)
Butternut Box have an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars based upon over 15,000 reviews on independent website Trustpilot.
A customer with five small dogs gave a glowing five-star review:
I have five small dogs all of which have different views on food. A nightmare until they were faced with a chicken dish from Butternut Box. Now they are all happy and eat without coming up for air. Great food for our pets and importantly I know they have eaten properly.
A dog owner with a newborn baby was thrilled with their service during the Coronavirus uncertainty:
Through these tough times, I felt it was best to get another box delivered. This is due to my partner being pregnant and having all of her hours cut at work. Not only did they sort this out for me straight away, but they gave me 50% off one of the boxes to make the burden of the money a little easier. Not only this they have meant that my fussy Jackapoo loves his daily meals!
Alaskan Klee Kai with Different Dog (Photo: lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
Different Dog get 4.8 stars out of 1,000-plus reviews on Trustpilot.
A pet parent with a dog who suffers from Pancreatitis gave the food a big thumbs up:
My dogs absolutely love this food!!!!! My dog has pancreatitis and a heart condition so we have to be very careful with what we feed her and she gorges this down so quickly, she is fussy eater and so hard to please, especially since she has gotten into her older years. My other dogs loves it too. We are so happy we made the switch to this food.
A customer called Catherine revealed how her dogs always lick the bowl clean:
Great quality food that Wilbur & Paisley love! They’re always coming back to lick the bowl and love trying all the different recipes. Fantastic, friendly service too – would highly recommend!
Butternut Box Or Different Dog Coupon Code And Discounts
We have an exclusive offer for helloBARK! readers for both new Butternut Box and Different Dog customers.
You can get 50% off your first Butternut Box order and 50% off your second Butternut Box delivery. So you can enjoy a big discount on your first two Butternut Box orders. To avail of this generous offer, simply click here to ensure the discount is applied at the checkout.
Different Dog are offering new pet parents the chance to get 35% off your first 2 Different Dog boxes when you sign up to a subscription plan and you enter HELLOBARKCC35 at the checkout. To avail of this offer, click here.
If you’d prefer to start with a one-time purchase, we also have an exciting offer for you. Different Dog have offered new customers the chance to get 20% off your first purchase in their online shop when you enter the discount code HELLOBARKCC20 at the checkout. To avail of this offer, click here.
Anything Else To Consider?
If you’re making the switch to a dog food delivery company, you should speak to your vet about help making the transition. While Butternut Box and Different Dog use vets to formulate their meals, you want to make a slow transition over the course of two weeks. If you make a dramatic switch, you could risk causing stomach problems.
Wrapping Things Up – Final Thoughts
Alaskan Klee Kai Copper with his Butternut Box delivery (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
So we’ve reached the end of our comparison article on Butternut Box and Different Dog. We’re a big fan of these dog food delivery companies.
We love their approach to feeding Britain’s dogs and you can be satisfied knowing that your four-legged friend is getting balanced and complete meals.
Butternut Box have stellar customer reviews which speaks volumes for their high-quality meals. We love that they use pre-proportioned packaging to remove any stress involved when it’s time for dinner.
Butternut Box have a particularly tempting offer for our readers who are first-time customers. You can get 50% off your first order and 50% off your second order if you decide to give Butternut Box a try.
Different Dog have an incredible array of recipes to choose from, so there’s something for every dog irrespective of potential food intolerances or dislikes.
Different Dog are offering new pet parents the chance to get 35% off your first 2 Different Dog boxes when you sign up to their subscription plan and enter HELLOBARKCC35 at the checkout. To avail of this offer, click here.
Alternatively, if you’d like to start with a one-off purchase from Different Dog’s online store, you can get 20% off your first order when you enter HELLOBARKCC20 at the checkout.
Overall, we highly recommend both Butternut Box and Different Dog. You won’t go wrong choosing either of these companies.
