6 Best Raw Dog Food UK- Brands Comparison & Buying Guide

Are you constantly eager to give variety in food to your dog? In the UK, savvy pet owners are moving to raw diets to overcome various issues like picky eating, allergies and food reactions, and overfeeding. Unlike traditional options, raw food offers a balanced diet promoting healthy and muscle development. Say goodbye to mealtime frustrations and hello to complete, unprocessed ingredients that nourish your pet and make him healthy and cherished. With raw dog food, you can say farewell to gulping, choking, and food aggression, providing a foundation of health for your furry friend.

So, are you ready to know the best raw dog food UK? Let’s make you aware of the best brands after our testing and reviewing all the products.

Our top choice at a quick look

1. Best top-notch – Naturaw
2. Best budget – Nurture them naturally
3. Best multiple variety options – Paleo Ridge

Best raw dog food UK

Here is a run-down of our best-selected picks of UK-based best raw dog food brands:

1. Best top-notch – Naturaw
2. Best variety options – Paleo Ridge
3. Best vet recommended – Poppy’s Picnic
4. Best customer service with quality – Prodog raw
5. Best budget – Nurture them naturally
6. Best for puppies – Nutriment

1-  Naturaw raw dog food

Looking for a raw dog food brand in favour of your dog and planet? Look no further than Naturaw, which takes raw dog food to the next level.

Why prioritize Naturaw?

Naturaw is a multiple award-winning raw dog food company that is top-ranked by the free reviewer website allaboutdogfood, Kings award for Enterprise-sustainable Development 2023, Insider Made in Yorkshire 2023 winner, PATS Telford 2023 winner, and the first B-Corporation accreditation as a raw dog food company.

Brand’s more positives:

• They always strive for quality. All the meat is high welfare and British-sourced.
• They give delivery very to the next day you put the order.
• They have linked with a non-profit plantation organization, meaning that for every new subscription from Naturaw’s customers, they donate one tree, a great nature-saver feature.
• The vet approved all the recipes of Naturaw.
• They are environmentally safe brands that generate solar power and give many incentives to their workers.
• 4.3/5 stars on Trustpilot, 4.8/5 on Reviews.io, 4.9/5 from Naturaw’s website, and 96% from Allaboutdogfood.
• Plastic-free, compostable packaging usage by the company.

What meal varieties do they provide?

To ensure the best quality and freshness, Naturaw gets all its ingredients from nearby farms, gamekeepers, and butchers in the UK. Their raw diet is free of grains, fillers, and inexpensive animal products like tripe and is balanced regarding nutrients.

For dogs with allergies or sensitivities, they provide clear ingredient lists and give preference to human-grade, free-range meats.

Its ranges have following listing: Original, simply, and forage recipes.

Original recipes are subdivided into two: one is single-protein, and the other is mixed protein. It is mainly based on an 80/10/10 diet in which 80% will be high-quality meat, 10% bones, and 10% extra-ordinary offal. By original means, they are additives, preservatives, fillers, and veggie-free recipes. Surf & Turf and all free-range turkey are the most demanded recipes by all the dogs in this original range.

The simple collection is for experienced raw feeding who have been there for multiple years and know best which protein suits their dogs and how and when to easily shuffle between various recipes and make DIY recipes at home.

The forage range is one of the main ranges of Naturaw that gets a 96% rating on AADF. In this range, all the recipes contain 90% British, high-welfare meat with 10% extra superfood. The additional 10 % includes Atlantic Mackerel, botanical, Organic Broccoli, Blackberries, Kale, Organic British eggs, Organic Scottish Seaweeds, Wheat-grass, Pumpkin and hemp seeds, Cleavers, Nettles, and pure Yorkshire Sea salt. The best choice is the Venison, lamb, beef, and puppy forage recipes.

Taking equally puppies and senior dogs with awesome raw food taste is a good step in making space for every single dog owner. I also like it as the product is packaged to a very high level, and the ingredient percentages are disclosed. It indicates that the label is open clear, and will tell you exactly what you are giving your dog.

Naturaw’s revolution:

By seeing the popularity of their product, Naturaw decided to introduce new treats and boosts for your dog. The treats may be used for training purposes, and its range includes chicken & fenugreek, Venison & blackberries, fish croutons, and much more. Boost powders or botanicals are also introduced to keep dogs healthy inside out by eliminating their targeted ailment. It includes senior, dental, skin, and tummy boost recipes.

How do we order food from Naturaw?

Before ordering the exact amount of raw dog food, you can check what amount your dog will need as per his age and size through the raw dog food calculator, but the general rule is to feed 2-3% of an adult dog’s body weight.

My general suggestion is to choose any small or large taster box and get a free dog treat with free delivery, new to raw feeding box, or build your box and save 5% on your order.

Naturaw delivery and returning policy?

Every customer could access their food right after the order or within two days. Naturaw is best known because they send the order in wool-insulated packaging with sheep wool ROM and when after receiving the order, you send this packet back to them, you can earn £ 5.

How much did Naturaw cost me?

Naturaw provides great value for the quality, but you should pay more for the best value. At approximately £1.21 each day, the Original Taster Boxes with free delivery offer the most economical choice. Creating your subscription box or going with the Forage lineup will cost you a little more each day—roughly £2.00.

Reasons of my likeness:

• The food comes in pre-portion, so the chances of overfeeding are less.
• They offer the best customer service that we witness.
• It defrosts easily as it comes in freeze-dried form.
• Almost all the recipes have 90% organic and fresh meat with a less fat content, up to 15%.
• Dedication to environment safety.

Reasons of disliking:

• A little bit of fault in the website. When I try to add numerous subscriptions or orders, the items disappear from the basket before checkout.
• Expensive raw dog food company.
• They never give much loyalty scheme to their customers.
• A little bit of paper in the carton that gets stuck with my dog food.

Quality food and £5 off on your order subscription

In our review of the best raw dog food options, we prioritize your pet’s health. Yet, it’s crucial to address potential allergies. Check out our article on hypoallergenic food to ensure you’re making the best choice for your furry friend’s diet.

2- Paleo Ridge (best variety options)

Paleo Ridge is now the best company in Hampshire that gets certification under various companies and laws, including OF&G Organic approved, ISO 9001 approved, Ethical Pet Award approved, and DEFRA approved. It also gets multiple awards, including the Platinum Trusted Service Award 2024 and the Direct to Commerce Award 2022.

Brand positives:

• They use quality ingredients that are nutritious for dog’s health.
• They use eco-friendly packaging.
• The company gives full track of your order shipment.
• The company will give their first customers 20% off plus free shipping.
• It gets 4.9/5 stars from Paleo Ridge, 4.8/5 from Feefo, 3/5 from Trustpilot, and an 85% rating from AADF.

What meal varieties do they provide?

I recommend many of my friends Paleo Ridge because this raw dog food brand gives its customers too many options to select from any category.

The Paleo Ridge raw dog food range includes Essential, Classic, DIY, Classic Mini, and Paleo Plus.

The Essential range consistsconsists of a BARF diet in which 80% portion is meat, bones, and offal while 20% is fresh vegetables. The Essential range includes beef, lamb, pork, duck, chicken, and turkey dinner recipes, but I suggest you buy the Essential Hamper that I also use, and it is effective for all stages of dogs. It is a 16x 500gram hamper for which we get free delivery.

The Classic range includes 16 recipes, and it follows up the rule of 80-10-10 in which 80% is human-grade, outdoor-reared meat, 10% offal, and 10% bones. I purchased Classic Lamb Breast and Heart for review purposes and am amazed at its exceptional results.

The Paleo Ridge introduced DIY raw dog food for expert pet parents who use all these 15 products for a treat or make a different recipe by adding it to their dog’s diet. It needs to be completed but complementary raw dog food.

The paleo-plus range includes hand-made 95% high-welfare, grass-fed meat, offal, and bone with 5% anti-oxidant-rich superfoods like mint, apple, carrots, or blueberries to work best for working dogs.

Paleo Ridge’s revolution:

Paleo Ridge is a raw dog food company that got started in 2014 but made remarkable value in the raw dog food market within no time. They make innovations in their products. The five recipes in the classic mini range are a good initiative for beginners to feed their small-breed dogs. Similarly, they introduced various hampers, treats, bone-broth, and supplements that your dog will be nourished correctly if you use with their raw dog food range.

Company’s ordering, delivery, and return policies:

Ask your vet about what amount of food your dog will need, or try an online raw dog food calculator to know the correct food amount as per your dog’s weight, age, or breed. Before writing a review of Paleo Ridge, I ordered their Switch to Raw Hamper and tried it on my Vizsla for 15 days, and he enjoyed all the flavour. After taking complaints about their packaging, Paleo Ridge introduced Woolcool eco-friendly boxes in August 2017 in 1kg or 500g packaging. When you return damage-free 12 strips to the company, they will issue you three loyalty points per strip. Their price range is between £2.19-£7.95, which is not a big dunt on the pocket if you pay more for extra quality for your canine.

Offers to customers:

One best part is that Paleo Ridge grants loyalty schemes to customers like:

• Their first customers may get 20% off on their first order.
• 10 points on registering an account.
• 20 points when you sign up for the newsletter.
• 2 points when you purchase £10 worth product.

Positive features we noticed:

• All the recipes contain high-quality meat content.
• The Paleo Plus range gets 91-94% ratings on allaboutdogfood.
• The company introduced recipes that have less than 5% fat.
• They are good at providing more than 17% protein content in all recipes.
• Free from wheat, maize, grain, dairy products, and artificial flavouring.
• It’s been recommended by FEDIAF and AADF.

Negative features:

• They never label the products too clearly that which product contains how much % of certain ingredients.
• The meat’s blood comes out from unopened cardboard boxes and runs all over the fridge, which is a big mess.
• Although I did not witness it, it happened with my friend who said Paleo Ridge gave him late food delivery, and he is not happy with their customer service.

3-  Poppy’s Picnic (vet approved)

Poppy’s Picnic is a raw dog and cat food brand; started in 2016 by Dylan Watkins, who claims that they offer quality and fresh ingredients at your doorstep with exceptionally good quality customer care services.

Poppy’s picnic appreciation:

Although this company is young, but earns credentials in no time among customers.

• It has won various awards like the Startup Award at Wiltshire Business Award, the UKPF Raw Standard for Quality award, and a runner-up in NatWest’s Great British Awards.
• It gets registered under DEFRA.
• All the products get a 90-94% rating on AADF and 4.6 stars on Trustpilot.com.
• They don’t use any fillers, additives, and colour in their recipes but to add original turmeric for colour.

What’s in their range?

Poppy’s Picnic website offers the dog’s parents two categories of meal options. The first one is raw dog food, and the other one is cookable raw dog food, but as a whole,

their range includes Raw Power, Mighty Mince, Power Balls, and Puppy’s Power.

In the raw power range, all the recipes are for working dogs, with 75% meat with bones and offal and 25% the superfood. Raw power beef, turkey, and chicken recipes are the best overall by this brand.

Mighty Mince is a complete nutrition-filled range that includes meat with botanicals, seeds, and oils. Its Wild-boar mighty mince has 82% meat, Chicken mince consists of 80% meat, Lamb mince contains 76% meat, and its beef recipe contains 70% grass-fed beef with essential fruits, veggies, oils, and seeds.

Mighty mince and power balls recipes can be cooked if needed.

Power balls are pre-portioned meatballs effective for dogs from 2 weeks onward, and they hit 94% ratings on AADF. The range includes Wild-boar meatballs, Chicken Meatballs, Beef Meatballs, and Lamb Meatballs, and its availability in 360-gram trays at £3.60 wins every new raw feeder’s heart. I have tried the Wild-boar recipe on my 5 kg dog, who eats four balls daily. I think it is not a burden-type blueprint.

Puppy’s power list provides multiple options for puppies, including puppy power weaning paste, follow-up weaning paste, and growing-up minces for fulfilling the body requirements of puppies.

Why I love Poppy’s Picnic:

• All the vets approved this brand.
• 70-85% meat content in all formulas.
• The fat content is less than 15%, with more than 15% protein.
• Limited ASDA stores throughout the UK, including Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Glamorgan, Sutton Coldfield, and Newcastle, are now selling their products.
• Even fussy dogs recommend the taste.
• Good for a bad stomach dogs.

Why I stop doing love Poppy’s Picnic:

• The Poppy’s Picnic never introduces freeze-dried, cold-pressed, or other DIY raw dog food ranges.
• It costs higher as compared to kibble.

Loyalty programs for customers:

Customers are happy when they get multiple awards and subscriptions with high-quality products. Poppy’s Picnic knows customers’ value for their business and offers too many loyalty schemes to them, as I can see by comparing all the brands.

• They give 10% off on your first order.
• When you convince your friends and family members to purchase from this brand, they will give you £5 as a reward.
• They send orders in polystyrene bags, and when you return them, they will make £5 less on your next order.
• They give you £2.50 for 250 paw points and £10 for 1000 collected paw points.

Dogs with allergies, sensitive stomachs, or those who are best on a natural, species-appropriate diet are best understood by Poppy’s Picnic. It is a great option for pet owners looking for an easy raw feeding option that is also nutritionally full.

So, let’s buy their range:

4-  Prodog Raw dog food (best customer service with quality)

Prodog Raw is recommended as the best raw dog food in the UK at number four. Still, the company gives exceptional quality raw dog food, delivery, offers, varieties, and customer services at a peak level.

Who is Prodog Raw?

It is a multiple award-winning raw dog food company, including the National Business Award UK 2020, SME News 2020 UK Enterprise Award, and Platinum Trusted Service Award 2023.

• They promise to give quality ingredients to customers.
• They are DEFRA & FEDIAF approved.
• The company gives delivery on the very next day.
• They use package material that is polypropylene (PP).
• The material used to make the tub and lid, PP, is completely recyclable, authorised for use in food contact, and free of BPA.
• The company provides 16 pre-assembled, economical bundles together with free shipping.

Note: For a review, we tested a Chicken-free 15kg raw dog food bundle for one week.

What range does Prodog Raw offer?

Their raw dog food range is divided into Complete raw, 80-10-10 raw, Economy core, Raw puppy food, and Novel protein range.

The complete range includes 80% meat with bones, 17% British vegetables and fruits, and 3% superfoods to fulfill the dog’s body requirements. You can choose between 10 recipes under this range, but I heard too many positive reviews about their duck complete meal recipe.

The pure 80-10-10 recipes contain ratios like Meat: Bones: Offal with 12 recipes in the range.

The Economy core range includes four recipes and a mixed bundle with 17% off that are complementary raw dog food range and 95% ratings on AADF.

The raw puppy dog food range is designed with the view that puppies need more proteins compared to adult dogs, and they consist of 4 recipes, but the puppy bundle is best because it gives quality within your budget.

The exotic or Novel protein range is a big revolution by the Prodog raw that has four recipes but stuck to a single protein in which 90% is meat, 8.3% vegetables, 0.5% Kelp, 0.5% Hemp Oil, 0.5% Hemp Seed oil, and 0.2% Inulin.

What to know more about Prodog raw dog food?

There is much more to know to tell you how it is the best UK-based raw dog food under my review.

1. They transit food as freeze-dried or frozen that is kept safe for 4-5 days after defrosting.
2. We recommend buying bundles (more than 16) to get 15-17% off.
3. If you live in standard living areas in the UK, your order requirement must be 6kg and 25 kg. If you live in non-standard living areas, the company will deliver the next day.
4. You must bear £9.95 for delivery up to 15 kg and £15.95 for delivery up to 75 kilograms, while supplement shipping is free.
5. The food comes in a durable outer box of two layers of cardboard with an environmentally friendly wool cool thermo-liner inside to keep food cool for 72 hours.

Advantages of Prodog raw dog food:

• It gives much more energy to dogs.
• The breath becomes fresher, and teeth become tarter-free.
• Prodog is best to feed dogs with certain allergies.
• The tubs are dishwasher safe if you reuse them.
• Give a refund for any damage.

Disadvantages of Prodog raw dog food:

• The company is really expensive.
• More care is needed on the packaging.

We also Reviewed best 80 10 10 raw Dog foods UK, You may like this related Topic.

5- Nurture Them Naturally ( Best budget raw dog food)

Nurture Them Naturally is a local but most favourite brand in the UK that gets 4.9/5 stars on feefo.com, 4.6/5 stars on Trustpilot, and a 92% rating on AADF. More positive of this company:

• Small batch manufacturing ensures freshness and quality control with a wide range of products.
• Exclusive use of human-grade and ethically sourced meat in a DEFRA-approved factory.
• Eco-friendly, fully recyclable packaging to minimize environmental impact.
• Collaboration with nutritionists to create food based on the natural diet of canines and felines.
• Working dog meals are suitable for active dogs, providing essential proteins and fatty acids for energy and strength.
• Involvement at every level of the process, from customer to manufacturer, ensuring a strong product and excellent service.

Nurture them Naturally cost-effective range:

Nurture Them Naturally offers three ranges of foods: Classic Complete, Primal Complete, and Puppies.

The Classic Complete range gets a 92% rating on AADF and has 11 recipes containing 95% meat content with 17% protein, but the best one is the Chicken Classic range.

The Primal Complete range has more than 11 recipes, including chicken & beef with offal, chicken, duck, or turkey with offal. The superfood range also has popularity in the local market.

They are best at knowing their puppies, too; therefore, added a puppy’s complete chicken and beef & chicken recipes to meet the micronutrient needs of puppies.

Nurture them Naturally innovation:

They ground all the veggies twice so your dog can receive all the healthy goodness because dogs cannot metabolise cellulose. They use kale because it’s high in vitamins, calcium, and fibre with a high-quality meat content of up to 95%, but their price range is too cost-effective, starting from £2.15-£5.45.

Advantages of my liking:

1. They use DPD service for next day delivery.
2. Fewer and simpler to clean up stools.
3. Stronger immune system.
4. Intestines and digestion in good health.
5. The food is delivered in insulated boxes, keeping it cold.
6. Nourishing skin, fresher breath, and shiny coat.

Drawbacks I never like:

1. You must have your minimum order up to £25 weighted 10kg+.
2. Sometimes, they get two things in one packaging while delivering.
3. It’s chicken classic complete recipe has too much bone content that can make a dog constipated with whitish poo.
4. The services and product are of top quality, but the delivery person placed my order next door. Delivery boys need a little bit of concentration.

6- Nutriment (best for puppies)

Who is Nutriment?

A company side with awards like Global 100, 2020 winner, Startup Awards 2015, and PIF shortlisted company in 2016.

Nutriment is a company that has registered under DEFRA and has more than that benefits:

1. Founded in 2013, Nutriment is a company passionate about raw pet food (BARF) for dogs and cats with a basic view to giving extra-fine raw dog food.
2. They use premium British ingredients, treats, supplements, and superfoods in their recipes, and all the recipes are hand-made.
3. Every food recipe is approved with consultation from vets.
4. The company is committed to sustainability and uses recycled packaging.
5. As of 2017, Nutriment has been a member of The Nutriment  Company, Europe’s top natural pet nutrition supplier.

What’s in the Nutriment range?

Nutriment offers various recipes and makes them easy to select by creating categories. You can hunt among many recipes that are natural & complete, 80-10-10, puppies, adults, working dogs, grain-free, for sensitive stomachs, for sensitive skin, and for liver& kidney support.

Nutriment puppies formula:

All the products do well on dogs’ tummies, but the puppy’s pet parents are too happy with their puppy formula, which gets rated at 86% rating on AADF. The recipe is best for puppies of two weeks to 6 months, and you can access it in 500-gram tubs or 1.4kg chubbs. The weaning paste for a 3-6 weeks formula is also the best recommendation for you. That contains 100% chicken with bones to such grind that nothing turns bad on puppies after having this, but it works as the best alternative to mother milk.

More to know about Nutriment raw dog food:

Some exciting points to know more about them are:

1. Keep the food from the freezer in the fridge one day before serving, and never put raw food close to cooked meat to avoid bacterial contamination.
2. When your puppy turns 12-18 months old, you can switch to adult formulas, but from very basic, Nutriment Adult Starter Pack or Mixer box are great options to feed at affordable prices.
3. If your dog has dental issues like gum disease and bad breath, have access to dog’s chew treats.
4. You can return your order when it is in original condition within 14 days.

Nutriment Downfall:

This product, when compared with Paleo Ridge or others, has fewer benefits than the others. It gets an 88% rating, less protein up to 46.2%, high fat 34.6%, and high carbs of 7%. While the Paleo Ridge turkey and fish recipe gets 91% ratings, the good protein content is 70.8%, less fat, 20.8%, and less carbs, 3.8%. (for comparison, we take Nutriment recovery support white fish & Organic Chicken recipes and all information by comparing products through AADF)

Good points:

• Free from grain, additives, and fillers.
• Good smell that catches your dog/puppy’s attention.
• You can get 10% off on your first order.
• Every order is reached on time, and they have good customer support.

Bad points:

• You must order 4kg minimum; otherwise, your order can be canceled.
• No clear labeling about their product’s ingredients.
• All the food varieties are expensive.
• There are not many loyalty programs for retaining their customers.

For getting the best puppy formula,

For a searching range of dog-lovable products,

Raw dog food comes in what forms?

Raw dog food comes in various forms and shapes according to your dog’s preference and dietary requirements. These forms include:

1. Frozen raw
2. Freeze-dried raw
3. Dehydrated raw
4. Raw meaty bones
5. Commercial raw blend
6. DIY raw

Frozen raw is the most common raw dog food form, consisting of raw meat, bones, and organs that are ground and kept frozen by adding little preservatives. It may also includeinclude supplements, fruits, and vegetables,; you must have 2-3 days to defrost it in the fridge from the freezer.

Freeze-dried raw dog food means that all the moisture from the food has to be removed with the aid of a special technology due to which fat content is reduced. This raw form is expensive.

We also Review and ranked 8 best freeze-dried raw food.

Dehydrated raw dog food is made by gently removing moisture from raw ingredients at low temperatures, preserving nutrients while extending shelf life.

Raw meaty bones include chicken necks, turkey necks, beef ribs, and other bone-in-cut meat that are a source of nutrition but also good for dental health.

A commercial raw blend means various raw ingredients, including meat, organs, bones, fruits, vegetables, and supplements, in convenient formats such as patties, chubs, or tubes.

By DIY raw dog food, we can say that Some dog owners prefer to prepare their raw dog food at home using fresh, raw ingredients to have complete control over the ingredients by adding all the items that suit their furry friend.

What should I consider before buying any raw dog food?

Many companies provide raw dog food in various forms in the UK, and the market grows rapidly daily, but what you should know before buying any raw dog food.

• Choose companies with high food safety standards, and you can question whether their brand tests the product for food-borne germs, follows disinfection policies on their staff, and has veterinary nutritionists who approve all the products. The chosen company must be DEFRA-approved.
• Raw dog food will change its shape and texture if never properly stored. So, manage the freezer or refrigerator to store all the products.
• Raw dog food is more costly than other foods available, so if you bear the burden, order it.
• Always look at the ingredients; the percentages must be clear, and no additives, legumes, or fillers could be part of any raw food.
• Always research customer reviews and testimonials about the brand reputation to satisfy yourself before ordering any raw dog food for your doggie.

FAQ’s

What are some other popular raw dog food brands in the UK?

Forthglade, Castle raw dog food, Bella & Duke, Wolf Tucker, Luna & Me, Natures Menu, and Stella & Chewy’s (availability may vary) are the brands that most of my friends suggested to me, and all have good quality raw dog food. (of course some drawbacks)

What makes raw dog food the best choice for my pet?

Raw dog food offers a natural, species-appropriate diet that promotes overall health, including improved coat condition, digestion, and energy levels.

Is raw dog food more expensive than commercial dog food?

Raw dog food can be more costly than commercial diets upfront, but it may offer long-term savings by promoting better overall health and reducing veterinary bills.

My final words

In conclusion, the best raw dog food in the UK offers a natural and species-appropriate diet that promotes optimal health and vitality for our beloved canine companions. With a commitment to quality ingredients, transparent sourcing, and sustainable practices, all the above brands provide nutrition to dogs.