{"id":107398,"date":"2025-06-18T08:56:44","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T06:56:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalpetindustry.com\/?p=107398"},"modified":"2025-06-30T08:47:18","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T06:47:18","slug":"uk-start-up-different-dog-to-ramp-up-production-as-demand-for-fresh-pet-food-soars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalpetindustry.com\/news\/uk-start-up-different-dog-to-ramp-up-production-as-demand-for-fresh-pet-food-soars\/","title":{"rendered":"UK start-up Different Dog to ramp up production as demand for fresh pet food soars"},"content":{"rendered":"

Different Dog plans to scale up its production capabilities to meet demand following recent funding of \u00a310 million (\u20ac11.7M\/$13.2M) from new and existing investors.<\/p>\n

This will help the Shrewsbury-based company to relocate to a new state-of-the-art 40,000-square-foot production facility<\/a> in Telford, Shropshire, which was recently named the UK\u2019s \u2018Dog Capital\u2019 with 8.2 dogs per 20 people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis investment is a testament to the belief our community, team and investors have in what we\u2019re doing. We\u2019re not just growing a business \u2013 we\u2019re building a movement around better health, better food and better lives for our 4-legged family members,\u201d says Managing Director Charlie Thurstan.<\/p>\n

Making a difference<\/h2>\n

The company was founded in 2017 by Thurstan, who had previously served as the head of strategy and commercial initiatives at Pets at Home and later became the head of food and pricing. He had a background in corporate management and finance, along with his wife, Alexandra.<\/p>\n

The duo wanted to feed their puppy, Crumble, the same level of food they were eating themselves. Their focus was on human-grade<\/a> ingredients, avoiding highly processed options and providing fresh, hand-cooked, nutritious meals for dogs.<\/p>\n

\u201cDetermined to make a difference, we began a mission to feed 1 million dogs,\u201d explains Head of Brand Nia Dawson. \u201cWe partnered with our fantastic nutritionist, Bianca, and vet, Alison, to ensure balanced meals and transitioned to an industrial kitchen. Today, we proudly serve over 18,000 dogs daily.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bootstrap marketing<\/h2>\n

Different Dog found that getting into major retailers, especially supermarkets, was a significant barrier for challenger brands, so they opted for a more \u2018grassroots\u2019 approach to marketing their products.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve traveled the length and breadth of the country with our cooking bar to show just how we make the food and let dogs taste the food and their owners see first-hand how adding fresh to the diet can really change dogs\u2019 lives,\u201d says Dawson. \u201cWe also work hard with our dog-passionate team of experts to explain why better ingredients come at a higher cost.\u201d<\/p>\n

The newly secured funding will also help with their marketing and educational efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe investment will support marketing initiatives to expand our customer base and allow us to hire top talent to accelerate growth. This funding marks a pivotal step in our mission to change dogs\u2019 lives with real food and to continue providing high-quality nutrition to our customers\u2019 dogs,\u201d adds Dawson.<\/p>\n

Profit and purpose<\/h2>\n

In addition to prioritizing the health and nutrition of dogs at the heart of the business, Different Dog is also committed to striking a balance between profit and purpose in the broader community.<\/p>\n

Sustainability<\/a> and ethical practices are central to their operations, and they have achieved Certified B Corporation status.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe source all our meat and fish from within the UK, supporting local communities while minimizing our carbon footprint,\u201d says Dawson. The company has been certified Carbon Neutral since 2022. \u201cWherever possible, we choose local suppliers, all of whom are vetted and required to sign a code of conduct to ensure high standards of animal welfare and responsible practices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Packaging is also chosen for its sustainability and reduced environmental impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cEarly in the journey, we made a commitment to move away from single-use plastics and use compostable and recyclable packaging. On top of that, we run a returns scheme that allows customers to send back packaging for reuse. We\u2019re now reusing around 500 wool liners and ice packs per week, significantly reducing waste and landfill impact,\u201d Dawson states.<\/p>\n

Leading transformation<\/h2>\n

As the company prepares for the next stage of growth with scaled-up production capabilities, it continues to have ambitious plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur long-term goal is to change as many dogs\u2019 lives as possible and lead the transformation of the pet food industry away from ultra-processed foods and towards fresh, human-grade nutrition,\u201d Dawson says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aim to set new standards for quality and transparency, influencing industry practices and consumer expectations. By continuing to innovate and educate, we aspire to be at the forefront of a movement that prioritizes the health and well-being of pets through better nutrition.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Different Dog plans to scale up its production capabilities to meet demand following recent funding of \u00a310 million (\u20ac11.7M\/$13.2M) from new and existing investors. This will help the Shrewsbury-based company to relocate to a new state-of-the-art 40,000-square-foot production facility in Telford, Shropshire, which was recently named the UK\u2019s \u2018Dog Capital\u2019 with 8.2 dogs per 20 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75616,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[752],"class_list":["post-107398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-production-packaging","topic-alternative-ingredients","topic-europe","topic-global-pet-industry","topic-industry-insights","topic-ingredients","topic-investment","topic-news","topic-pet-food","topic-production","topic-sustainability","topic-united-kingdom"],"yoast_head":"\nUK start-up Different Dog to ramp up production as demand for fresh pet food soars - GlobalPETS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/globalpetindustry.com\/news\/uk-start-up-different-dog-to-ramp-up-production-as-demand-for-fresh-pet-food-soars\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UK start-up Different Dog to ramp up production as demand for fresh pet food soars - GlobalPETS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Different Dog plans to scale up its production capabilities to meet demand following recent funding of \u00a310 million (\u20ac11.7M\/$13.2M) from new and existing investors. This will help the Shrewsbury-based company to relocate to a new state-of-the-art 40,000-square-foot production facility in Telford, Shropshire, which was recently named the UK\u2019s \u2018Dog Capital\u2019 with 8.2 dogs per 20 […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/globalpetindustry.com\/news\/uk-start-up-different-dog-to-ramp-up-production-as-demand-for-fresh-pet-food-soars\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"GlobalPETS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-18T06:56:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-30T06:47:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/globalpetindustry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/different-dog-production.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Steve Randall\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Steve Randall\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/globalpetindustry.com\/news\/uk-start-up-different-dog-to-ramp-up-production-as-demand-for-fresh-pet-food-soars\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/globalpetindustry.com\/news\/uk-start-up-different-dog-to-ramp-up-production-as-demand-for-fresh-pet-food-soars\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Steve Randall\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/globalpetindustry.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1239f6f65c16f74b2dde3a70551ef2c5\"},\"headline\":\"UK start-up Different Dog to ramp up production as demand for fresh pet food soars\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-18T06:56:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-30T06:47:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/globalpetindustry.com\/news\/uk-start-up-different-dog-to-ramp-up-production-as-demand-for-fresh-pet-food-soars\/\"},\"wordCount\":685,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/globalpetindustry.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Production & Packaging\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/globalpetindustry.com\/news\/uk-start-up-different-dog-to-ramp-up-production-as-demand-for-fresh-pet-food-soars\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/globalpetindustry.com\/news\/uk-start-up-different-dog-to-ramp-up-production-as-demand-for-fresh-pet-food-soars\/\",\"name\":\"UK start-up Different Dog to ramp up production as demand for fresh pet food soars - 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