One of the core messages coming from the prestigious pet trade PATS show this week is that the UK’s premium pet food sector is in good form and leading from the front.
For some years now the UK’s artisan food and drink scene has being seizing the attention of health conscious humans, banging the drum for flavour innovation, ingredient provenance, nutritional depth and label clarity; bold, unwavering messages that don’t simply resonate with the UK’s increasingly vocal, health conscious consumer, but with a growing chatter of overseas pet lovers looking to embrace British-based goods.
The Dog Treat Company (DTC) is one such family-owned operation enjoying the euphoria of being British, loud and proud.
DTC’s founder Joe Halliwell explained: “In the same we put our trust in Japanese innovation and Germany’s precision engineering, the UK is establishing an unrivalled reputation for ingredient integrity. Whether its companionship – completing the family, post-divorce camaraderie, or ‘empty nester’ rapport – a willing jogging buddy or the last piece in the family jigsaw, dogs are being pampered and appreciated like never before.”
With overseas orders and enquiries now accounting for a significant number of DTC’s sales: Australia, Norway, Italy, The United States, South Korea, Germany and Holland (to name but a few), there’s now a fantastic opportunity for the UK’s peerless pet food fraternity to truly make its mark in a post Brexit world.
It seems that different markets embrace our Dog Treats for a variety of distinct reasons – for some it’s the quirkiness of our tongue-in-cheek tone of voice and packaging, whilst for others it’s our uncompromising insistence on only using free-range chicken, eggs and beneficial herbs.
In the United States and Norway they are ahead of the curve regarding why pet food must include health assisting ingredients like turmeric and black pepper, whilst elsewhere in Italy, Germany and Holland (like Britain before) many family units no longer seem complete without the presence of a four legged friend. Further afield, pet pampering sits at the very heart of South Korea’s blossoming fascination with small, low maintenance, urban dogs.
Whatever the individual market reasons for DTC’s growing overseas appeal, the underlining message is unquestionably that of a proud British pet food pioneer that has taken the trouble to understand its diverse yet flourishing customer base.
More info: www.thedogtreatcompany.co.uk