dog cat eating© Photo: iStock

Tesco launches new premium roast dinner for dogs

Lifestyle Features Editor
March 7, 2017

The traditional roast dinner is a weekly fixture in many British households, so it's only fair that our pet dogs get to enjoy it too, right? Now they can, thanks to a new fresh pet food range that is launching in Tesco stores across the UK after a successful trial in Norfolk and Suffolk.

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Featuring steam-cooked meat and all natural ingredients, it is the first fresh pet food range to hit the UK and can be found in chiller cabinets in the pet aisles at Tesco stores nationwide. The collection is made by US firm Freshpet, who say the food is "just like a home cooked meal made in your kitchen". There are eight varieties for dogs and four for cats, such as "tender chicken with garden vegetables" and a traditional roast dinner.

freshpet dinner

The Freshpet range is launching in Tesco stores

Tesco pet expert Paul Jones told trade magazine The Grocer that while it was a "new concept" in the UK, he was confident it would be a hit with customers. "We know it's the right thing for us to offer our customers who are increasingly looking for better quality, less processed, natural pet food," he said.

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However the fresh, additive-free meals are not cheap; prices range from £3 to £13.50, and all have a seven-day shelf life. They mark a shift in the UK pet food market, which is worth £3billion a year and has reportedly seen an increase in demand for natural and gourmet food ranges for their beloved pets.

© Photo: iStock

There is a growing trend for premium and natural pet foods

Meanwhile a report by market analysts Nielsen said: "Pet owners desire pet food options that address the same health concerns currently influencing human food production, such as unnatural preservatives and genetically modified ingredients - and they're serious about these preferences."

What do you think of the trend for "humanised" premium pet foods?