Dog Treats Made In The UK

Here at Not From The Pet Shop, we are super proud of the relationships we have with UK small businesses. From dog beds made by a mother and daughter to cat ID tags made by a small family business with a passion for pets, we love the stories we hear from the makers of our products.

In this post, we bring you an interview with Sarah, the maker of our tasty natural dog treats.

What pets do you have?

I have 4 pets in total, my 9-year-old Patterdale Terrier Riley, Hedwig our Siamese Cat, who acts more like a dog than a cat and we also have 2 tortoises called Charlie and Sheldon.

Hedwig lost a front leg last year, it was such an awful and traumatic time for our family, as we still don’t really know how it happened, we live very rurally so we can only assume he got caught up in some farming equipment – but he made it home and is now back to full health! Riley and Hedwig have an amazing relationship which melts my heart!

We also have a resident Pheasant called Phil that wanders around outside!

How long have you been creating dog treats?

I have been making dog treats since January 2018, but started making them for the business last August.

What made you decide to first start your Life of Riley?

Riley got really poorly! It was terrifying! He was nearly 7 and out of the blue he developed quite severe food allergies. He was on high quality food but we eventually we worked out the treats he was having must have been the issue! After looking at the ingredients, there were so many things I didn’t understand or recognise and I asked myself, ‘should they be in there?!’.

I decided to do a short intensive course in canine nutrition, this was eye opening to say the least – I have never looked at an ingredients list in the same way again!

So I decided to take control of the situation, I wanted to know exactly what was in his treats and the only way to do this was to make them myself! After the success we had changing Riley’s treats and the popularity from friends and family dogs, I decided to make them accessible to all dogs!  

I then had to convince my husband that the 170 year old sandstone outbuilding he had his eye on for his ‘man shed’ would make a fantastic pet bakery! It took 4 months to kit out and it’s my favourite place to be!

What is the best part of the job?

By far, the best bit is getting the feedback! It never gets old. It’s so lovely to hear that dogs are loving our treats, and benefiting from having a nutritional and healthy option. We have had amazing feedback from our turmeric treats especially for the improvement in inflammation and joint problems, our paw balms and natural shampoo bars helping with skin problems too!

What is the hardest part of running a small business?

I would say it is trying to get people to realise that there are better options out there for their dog, and out of the habit of just picking up any old thing from their supermarket because their dog eats it and it’s a well-known brand.

I often get people saying, ‘oh my dog will eat anything, he doesn’t need special treats’, it makes me cringe, as that used to be me! We don’t know how long Riley was suffering from tummy pain before he was diagnosed, my guilt for this is real!

What has been your biggest recent challenge? 

Packaging! We are trying so hard to move away from single use plastic, but it’s tough! We now offer plastic free options, but they are not suitable for all instances – we have just been to a big packaging show though and we hope something comes of it, but many of the recyclable and bio options are still in testing by the manufacturers – watch this space!

What are your biggest hopes and dreams for your business?

My biggest hope is that you will be able to walk down to your local independent pet shop, farm shop, dog groomer, or order from your online retailer and be able to access our products easily and readily! That way we can know for sure we are making a positive impact on the world, not only from an environmental point of view but also for the health and happiness for all the lovely dogs!

Are you planning any changes in the next 12 months?

We are always planning changes and improvements, but we are in the process of designing ‘Bakery Mk2’! I am so lucky to currently have my current dedicated commercial bakery, it’s beautiful but quite small! So the next one will be much bigger and allow us to diversify not only with our dog products but we also want to offer cat, rabbit, Guinea, parrot treats too! The current bakery will then become the test / development kitchen – but don’t tell my husband! 

Why should people support small businesses?

It is true what they say, when you order from a small business someone does a little happy dance! You’re putting your faith and trust in people rather than corporations, chances are that person has started that business for a reason, just like we did – this means they actually care! But please be aware, there is a difference between a hobby and a business, as there are important insurances, licenses and registrations that will have to be adhered to keep you and your pet safe!

What makes your products special?

When people ask me this, I just show them the ingredients we use, we only use the best, mostly organic highest grade ingredients in our treats! We even roast and blend our own peanut butter to ensure it’s safe and pure! All our treats are grain free, free from animal by-products and nutritionally beneficial. We really do love what we do and it shows in our products.

Describe your business in 5 words 

Ethical, responsible, made with love!

Describe working with the Not From The Pet Shop team

Fab! Love the Lyndsay’s and love being part of their exciting journey. Everything they stand for we wholeheartedly agree with, we share the true love for our animals and want to offer the best options to their owners!

What pet would you love to own if being practical didn’t come into it?

A platypus! I grew up thinking they were some mythical, fictional animal to then discover in my 20's they were actually a real animal! Says a lot about hot dippy I can be doesn't it!

Get your hands on our Dog Treats here.