FAQ

Butcher's Recipe & Ethics

Our delicious recipes and treats are available in all good retailers and pet specialists. Please have a look at our where to buy page for specific information on where to buy our products instore.
We have refreshed our packaging on Joints & Coat, Lean & Tasty and Simply Gentle multipack tin and foil trays.
To ensure we do not waste any packaging, for a short period of time there will be a mixture of current and new designs on shelf across the different retailers that stock our products until all the new packaging filters through the supply chain. If you do not see the refreshed design in-store just yet, please be assured it will arrive very soon.

All our food is made in our own factory in Crick, Northamptonshire, right in the heart of England – and has been for over thirty years.

Many of our suppliers are family-run businesses who we’ve worked with for in some cases over 20 years and we keep a close eye on what goes into our recipes – if the ingredients don’t meet our high standards, we don’t use them.

Nothing is better for your dog than nature’s most nourishing food. We do not use them as your dog does not need them. Our recipes do not contain any added artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Just naturally nutritious food for dogs, with added essential vitamins and minerals.

We use fresh ingredients as much as possible.  We carefully control what goes into our food – if the ingredients do not meet our high standards, we do not use them. We receive up to 8 lorry loads of ingredients every day from our suppliers/producers, many from just half an hour away

All of our can and trays are individually sealed and gently steam-cooked in their own airtight packaging.

We are very proud to say that our Butcher’s packaging is recyclable! To keep dogs as happy and healthy as possible. We’ve removed the plastic shrink-wrap packaging from our can multi-packs, and replaced with recyclable cardboard. Our cardboard boxes were the first of their kind in the pet care market to be manufactured in the UK. Our Treats packaging is recyclable, the box is made of cardboard and the film can be recycled at soft plastics recycling points.

A dog’s digestive system is built for meat – it’s what they naturally thrive on. Meat provides all the essential proteins, vitamins, minerals and fat a healthy dog needs, as well as water, which is good for hydration. It’s packed full of the goodness which keeps coats healthy, eyes bright and boundless energy. Click here to learn more

Since our products have a high meat content, they contain a lot of water too – all meat is naturally made up mostly of water! It makes it more succulent, juicy and naturally appetising, and it’s a good source of hydration for dogs. Our recipes are also packed full of extra vitamins, minerals and nutritious jelly or gravy. We add water in the form of jelly to protect the meat in the cooking process, just like you do to gravy in your own recipes.

The meat we use in our recipes is especially nutritious. It’s mostly offal – organ meats that are especially tasty for dogs, packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals. All our ingredients are naturally tasty, so our products don’t need any artificial flavours, and we use fresh ingredients as much as possible. We always keep control over what goes into our food – if the ingredients don’t meet our high standards, we don’t use them.

If you need specific allergen advice, please get in touch with our consumer team, help@butchersdogfood.co.uk We always aim to respond within 48 hours, but please allow us up to five working days

Crude fibre doesn’t sound too nice, but it’s just a technical term for certain types of fibre which are indigestible and are important for digestive health and function.

L-carnitine is found naturally in ingredients such as meat, fish and poultry and is really important to keep your dog bouncing, lively and full of energy. It can also be helpful in managing weight loss and so we add additional supplementation into our Lean & Tasty recipes. L-carnitine is needed by muscle to produce energy from fatty acids and can help to maintain lean muscle.

Don’t worry, we don’t put any ash in your dog’s food! Crude ash is just a technical term for the mineral and bone content, so it’s part of what makes our recipes so nutritious and 100% complete and balanced. On average, Butcher’s products contain 2-4% crude ash, which is typical for all wet dog food.

Yes, but please make sure that it’s thawed out and back at room temperature before feeding it to your pet.

We believe there’s nothing better for your dog than nature’s most nourishing food. That’s why we source British & Irish farmed ingredients  and prepare our meals right here in the heart of England with natural ingredients from suppliers we know and trust.

Meet Sara, our Nutritionist! Sara is a proud pet parent to Mae, 2 cats and a growing flock of hens, and she knows that nutrition is key to their happy and healthy lives.
⁠With a degree in Animal Science and over 13 years’ experience as a Pet Nutritionist, Sara is passionate about delivering our promise to #NourishEveryDog by creating nutritious, balanced and highly digestible natural food, using only the highest quality meat and vegetables. If you’d like to read more from Sara check out her blogs here

The choice is entirely yours! If your dog has an allergy to grain, we’d recommend our range of grain-free recipes, but there are benefits to a wholegrain diet. Wholegrains are  a slow-release energy source and are gentle on tummies. Please consider any allergens your four-legged friend has.

Our food is classed as a complete food because it includes all the vitamins and minerals for a happy, healthy dog – including teeth!  When feeding any diet, a good dental health routine is always important and there’s nothing better for this than brushing your dogs’ teeth regularly with a doggy toothbrush and toothpaste!

Meat is the food dogs like best, and which is most nutritious for them. As we all know, it’s also usually the most expensive part of any meal and for dogs it’s no different. We think it’s worth it, though, to give your dog the diet they need to stay fit and healthy. A lot of people feed their dog a mix of wet and dry food, so the tastiness of meat can be easily added to a dry meal. If doing this, just make sure you adjust feeding quantities accordingly to ensure you don’t overfeed!

With 20% less fat than our standard recipes, our Lean & Tasty dog food recipes are perfect for when you’re watching your dog’s weight or for less active dogs.

Our recipes contain added L-carnitine, an important amino acid involved in the conversion of fat to energy, to help encourage body fat loss whilst maintaining lean muscle and are made with wholegrain rice, to keep dogs feeling fuller for longer.

All of our recipes contain added vitamins and minerals to ensure they are 100% complete and balanced, and supply all of the nutrients your dog needs to help maintain health and vitality.

Butcher’s Lean & Tasty dog food offers two feeding guides: the weight loss guide to help them lose unwanted pounds (with all the nutrients your dog needs, but lower in fat and calories), and the weight maintenance guide to help your dog stay in great shape.

All our products are free of soy and wheat gluten.

We can trace all our ingredients back to their sources

None of recipes have added salt – the salt they contain is all naturally occurring.

Unfortunately, we don’t give any free samples, however our most popular product, and the original recipe we started with 30 years ago – Butcher’s Tripe recipe – is available in single cans in all major supermarkets and pet specialists. Whenever switching food, we would recommend you introduce the new food in slowly over the course of a week, so as to avoid any issues at the other end!

Natural Health Support Range

All our recipes are 100% Complete & Balanced and are formulated within the pet food regulation guidelines. We now have a nutritionist on the team; Sara, who has been reviewing all our recipes and optimised the ingredients within our range. We have a really extensive product range and recipe development is being done in stages and has started with our natural health solutions range. To learn more about our Natural Health Support Range click here

This is a serving suggestion by our Nutritionist, Sara, highlighting which fruit/veg to add in if you have some left over. By adding them to your dog’s food, you are providing additional goodness and variety to your dog’s food.

Investigations in the US by the FDA have been looking at the potential role dry grain-free dry diets may play in relation to the heart condition, DCM. Wet diets are not implicated in any of the studies to date. The industry, including us here at Butcher’s Pet Care, continues to monitor any future progress of these investigations.

It is extremely important to reiterate that no definitive link has been established between canine DCM and diet and/or the presence of specific ingredients, nor that the diets included within the scientific trials are unsafe and require withdrawal from the market. Butcher’s products are not implicated in the research and at this present time, there is also no information to suggest a similar issue here in the UK or Europe. More detail on this topic from our nutritionist, Sara, can be found here.

At Butcher’s, we take great pride in ensuring our products are highly nutritious. Specifically, our Healthy Heart wet recipes are designed to help support a healthy heart, containing ingredients known to be beneficial for health and function.

They are manufactured to the highest standards and in line with legislative requirements. Should you have any specific health concerns relating to your pet, please speak to your vet. You can also read more about this on All About Dog Food and the UK Pet Food site.

Healthy Heart will be stocked in Pets At Home and selected Pet Specialist stores with 18pk Can and 24pk Foil from November 2023. All product pages display the specific ‘where to buy’ information.

We have optimised the levels of glucosamine, and chondroitin and it now has an added addition of green-lipped mussel to help support Joints & Coats. Learn more here

We have changed the formation of our Lean & Tasty range to a loaf recipe. This is something that we used to offer and we’ve been listening to our shopper feedback and our loaf format is preferred for the majority of shoppers. Learn more here

Only small tweaks, we have optimised the levels of prebiotics to aid the growth of healthy gut bacteria. Learn more here

We have only made small changes to our recipes, and we have updated the composition on the back of the pack.

Feeding Guides

Each of our products have individual feeding guides, please go to the individual products pages to review the feeding guides.

Treats

Our delicious new Simply Gentle treats contain 68% Turkey, Lean and Tasty treats contain 58% Chicken and Joints & Coat treats contain 48% Chicken and 8% salmon.

No, our treats are not grain-free, but they are packed full of natural nutrients.

We proudly source as many of our ingredients as possible from British and Irish Farms. Our other nutrient sources vary depending on the recipe, which you can browse here

 

Our packaging is made from recycled and sustainable sources wherever possible. Also, our box is 100% recyclable cardboard, and the film is recyclable through your local carrier bag return scheme at larger supermarkets.

Our treats have been developed for adult dogs are not suitable for puppies under 4-months old.

Our packs weigh 80g, and there are approximately 14-16 treats in each, depending on the recipe.

We recommend giving treats as a reward or to help with training, and not as a meal replacement for your dog. However, every dog has different requirements, so we suggest adjusting their food throughout the day to accommodate any treats. As a guide, treats should supply no more than 10% of your dog’s daily calorie requirement.

Our treats are soft and can easily be broken into 2 pieces for smaller dogs

Glucosamine is a naturally occurring structural component of cartilage. Glucosamine can also be added as a joint supplement to support healthy joints in dogs of all ages.

We use Chicory as a source of prebiotic FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides). FOS is complex fibre which helps promote the growth of friendly gut bacteria and thus benefits digestive health.

Glycerine is derived from vegetable oils and is used in our treats to give them a moist and succulent texture.

Tocopherols are forms of Vitamin E that derive from vegetable oils and have antioxidant properties. We use them to keep our products naturally fresh.

COVID-19 STEPS

In this difficult and challenging time we would like reassure all our customers and your four-legged friends that we are doing all we can to ensure that we continue to supply our stockists with Butcher’s Nourishing Food for Dogs. Our fantastic team at Butcher’s are working as many hours as safely possible to minimise disappointment, but as you will appreciate some matters will be outside of our control.

Our Butcher’s family health and safety remain top priority. We have installed new safety precautions both in our factory and office space. We have additional protective screens, PPE, sanitizing and are regularly deep cleaning. Where possible our employees are working from home.

Need To Ask a Question

Our dedicated customer service team is available between 8am-4pm Monday to Friday. Drop us an email help@butchersdogfood.co.uk and a member of the team will be happy to help.

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