Dragons persuaded to invest in treats
Mike and Zena started to make their own low-fat snacks for their two dogs, ‘Huxley’ and ‘Rolo’
A recent edition of BBC 2’s Dragons’ Den saw Mike and Zena Deane pitching for a cash injection into their organic dog treat business. They managed to capture the attention of both of the new ‘Dragons’ – Jenny Campbell and Tej Lavlani – before accepting the offer from dog-loving, Jenny.
Frustrated by what they considered to be a lack of innovation in the dog treat sector – valued in the UK at £434 million – Mike and Zena realised they had a business concept with the potential to fill a gap in this market; so they started to make their own low-fat snacks for their two dogs, ‘Huxley’ and ‘Rolo’, using a single dehydrator machine in their own kitchen.
The dogs’ positive reaction encouraged them to ‘trial’ the products on their friends’ dogs and they apparently received a “resounding wag” from over 600 testers across 72 breeds.
From their one dehydrator, the couple have progressed to a manufacturing site in Guilford, and the duo work with organic growers to maintain a “clean production line” that allows them to trace all of their snacks back to the precise date and location of harvest.
The Huxley Hound range of low fat snacks includes organic dried parsnip, sweet potato, carrot and beetroot varieties and Mike and Zena “believe that this is the perfect time to scale up an ethical, low fat, healthy treat business both within the UK and in export markets.”
A view quite clearly shared by the ‘Dragons’!
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
