The company makes personalised, calorie-controlled fresh meals for dogs; 20 million of them since it launched in 2016.
Each recipe is made of human-grade ingredients and contains 60% single-source protein and 40% vegetables and lentils, with added minerals. There are no preservatives, derivatives or byproducts. Recipes such as "Chow Down Chicken," "Gobble Gobble Turkey," and "Swish Fish Dish" contain less than 5% fat content.
The meals are portioned specifically to each dog according to their calorific need. They are then delivered directly to the customer's door (free-of-charge) via a subscription model.
The model has proven so successful that Butternut Box has recently secured £20m in venture capital to grow the business.
The company launched a referral programme in early May, in which over 50 veterinary surgeons and nurses have signed up to become Butternut Box 'ambassadors'.
Each ambassador is give a unique discount web address which they can give to any client that would benefit from a freshly cooked, calorie-controlled diet for their dog.
If the client redeems the code, a one-time referral fee is credited to the ambassador's account, which can be transferred to a personal account, donated to charity or spent on Butternut Box food for their own use.
Kyle Kennedy from Butternut Box said: "We take great pride in the quality of our food. We think dogs deserve better, and we want to give pet professionals a food they can be proud to recommend."
For more information about being a Butternut Box ambassador, email: kyle@butternutbox.com.
PS: Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vets.
Crikey Sarah Keir - do you have it in for Butternut Box or something? Some sort of vendetta? . I always thought the point of calorie-controlled is that if you know the calorific count of the portion, you can control your intake according to requirements, whereas if you don't, you can't. That is what I am finding personally, anyway! Point 2. I don't think it is right to say 'no carbs'. Suggests otherwise here: https://butternutbox.com/nutrition/carbohydrates. Point 3. I guess that's marketing for uou, but does it matter?! And point 4: "It is highly unlikely to be a low fat food" - have you asked them before posting the accusation?I have no conflict. Butternut Box contacted me with the story, I published it. Afterwards the company sent me a sample. All I know is my dog wolfs it down.
No personal vendetta, just procrastinating before starting a task so I thought I would put my EBVM and medics hat on and think about what they were saying. I would guess that most vets would know these things just not openly say them!
Comparing protein, fat or fibre levels simply by reading labels is pointless because levels vary according to the food’s water level. To compare the levels of anything in food you have to convert the information you have been given to a “dry-matter” basis: what is there once all moisture has been removed. Here is how you do it. A typical canned food label might say:
Protein6.5%Oil3.5%Fibre0.5%Moisture81%
This food is 81 percent moisture so it is 19 percent dry matter. Calculate the true levels of protein, fat and fibre using this formula.
Dry matter nutrient content = The label’s nutrient percentage x 100 Dry-matter content percentage
Therefore:
Crude protein = 6.5x100 = 34.2% 19
This is the only way you can accurately compare basic protein and fat or any other contents of one food with another. If you want to save time, all pet food manufacturers will gladly give you this information.
So I've done this for Chow Down Chicken
Crude Protein 15.44%, Crude Oils and Fats 4.81%, Crude Fibre 0.69%, Crude Ash 2.03%, Moisture Content 69.6%.
DM content of fat = 15.8%
Misleading to say less than 5% fat?