Eighteen months ago, Elin and I adopted a malnourished and terrified dog from Spain: Toast. He has changed our lives in ways I absolutely did not see coming.
It has also been a crash course in the dysfunction of the pet industry: more than 60% of UK veterinary practices are owned by six large corporate groups, three of them controlled by private equity. Most food brands are controlled by a duopoly. And no one, anywhere, is putting the welfare of dogs on a par with profits.
We can do better. We should do better. So let's.
Introducing Best Friend Club
Best Friend Club is a social enterprise selling dog food. Working with one of the UK's leading pet-food manufacturers, we sell high quality, nutritionally complete chicken and salmon dry food, delivered directly to your door at a sensible price. No added artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. No fads, gimmicks or marketing nonsense. Just proper food for good dogs.
Built to give back
We launched in partnership with the dog-rescue charity Fetcher Dog. Best Friends Club reinvests 10% of its operating profit and 50% of any distributed profit into animal rescue and rehoming. Best Friends Club is certified by Social Enterprise UK, and the values and purpose of the business are embedded in its constitution from day one.
This is not PR gloss, applied when a brand needs a buff. It is the reason the business exists.
Thank you
Heartfelt thanks to my co-founders and collaborators, including Richard Tompkins, Lilly Shepherd, Sho Sugihara and Sam Wiltshire, and to the many others working behind the scenes to make this happen. Particular thanks to Lucy Tyler and Hugo Martin at Evri for the crash course in fulfilment and logistics. And thank you to the Who Gives A Crap team, for the practical help and for the proof that social enterprises can thrive.
Proper food for good dogs.
