A plant-based dog food company says it is not only helping dogs thrive with its ‘Michelin star’ chef recipes but is also protecting the planet with its new sustainable packaging.
DoGood, based at Woking in Surrey, offers a 100% plant-based, nutritionally complete dog food with a low environmental impact and now has packaging to match its product’s eco-credentials.
Co-founder at DoGood Steve Hutchins, who set up the company with wife Christina, explained: “It was really important for us to have a brand that reflected our own planet-friendly passion.
“We’ve worked with top canine nutritionists and a Michelin star chef to develop recipes that combine locally-sourced, organic plant-based ingredients to provide a set of meals to meet dogs’ needs. They’re vet approved, made in the UK and fully sustainable.
“Until now, our packaging wasn’t fully reflecting our brand’s environmental ethos and, as a start-up, we were struggling to find a solution that would benefit us cost wise and help us get the business off the ground.”
In collaboration with Devon-based Newton Print, the start-up used its sampling service and low minimum order volumes to produce printed cardboard sleeves made from certified FSC cardboard for the dog food trays, which were freezer safe, fully recyclable and Carbon Balanced to further complement their brand values.
DoGood is a brand born out of necessity. Steve and Christina started to create their own food a few years ago when they lived in Cambodia.
Steve adds: “Over there, dogs are considered food, not pets, and after adopting our own beagles, Bella and Watson, we were shocked when it came to the food that was available for them, so we decided to make our own instead.
“On returning to the UK, we wanted to create something to support man’s best friend, as well as our own environment. The meat-based industry is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases and with more people owning dogs, especially since the pandemic, demand has soared.”
Steve Hutchins, co-founder of DoGood and beagles Bella and Watson and some of the start-up’s products