West Yorkshire raw dog food company Naturaw has secured a six-figure funding boost from Allica Bank to help triple production of its award-winning range.
Founder Jess Warneken started Naturaw in 2014 to provide better food for her dog, Louis, a Rhodesian Ridgeback who had become unwell with repeated skin and ear infections. After struggling to pinpoint the exact cause, she switched Louis to a raw food diet – and it transformed his health. That experience became the catalyst for Naturaw, a brand on a mission to bring the benefits of raw feeding to dogs across the UK.
The family-run business produces homemade, nutrient-dense dog food for pets across the UK. Menu options range from free range chicken and grass fed beef to surf and turf, and all meals are made with 100% high welfare meat, sourced from British farms. In a bid to meet wider sustainability goals, all packaging is plastic-free and home compostable, and the Naturaw kitchen is solar-powered.
“We are so proud of what Naturaw has become – what started as a desperate attempt to relieve Louis of his horrible ear and skin infections has grown into a thriving business providing breakfast, lunches and dinners for furry family members up and down the country,” says founder Jess.
The six-figure loan from Allica Bank will enable the business to invest in new machinery and production equipment as well as expand its team, with the aim of tripling its production volume over the next three years.
Allica’s funding will also go towards enabling the business to increase its storage capacity to allow for over 100,000 packs of their raw dog food – enough to provide around half a million meals – following on from a significant expansion of their HQ last year.
The UK Pet Food Sector is worth over two billion pounds and shows no signs of slowing down as growing consumer awareness builds around pet health, nutrition and ingredient quality. In turn, dog owners are increasingly making the change to raw food, with the segment alone now worth approximately two hundred million pounds.
Allica’s support is helping Naturaw keep up with the rapidly growing industry and promote long-term, sustainable growth.
“Viva la Rawvolution!” says Naturaw director Chris Broadbent. ‘‘Dogs and their owners deserve better, they deserve real food, clearly labelled, that they were designed to eat – the rawvolution is on and our customer base continues to grow, with the business doubling every two years, because of the quality of the product.
“Demand for raw pet food shows no signs of slowing down and with the support from Allica, we can future-proof the business and add production and distribution capacity that will enable us to keep growing for the next three years and beyond.”
Andy Castle, Naturaw’s Relationship Manager at Allica Bank, said: “What a privilege it’s been to support Chris and the team at Naturaw as they bring dog health to the forefront of conversation and help families get the best nutrition for their beloved pets.
“Ultimately, Naturaw is exactly the kind of business Allica is proud to back. They’re opening up job opportunities in the local community and driving positive change not only here in Yorkshire but throughout the whole of the UK. We are delighted that this funding will contribute to the further expansion of their production and workforce and support their growth.”
Non-executive director and founder of North View Advisory, Dave Moore, who connected Naturaw with Allica Bank, said: “Chris and Jess’s passion for what they do is inspiring and I was delighted to join the team in a director capacity as they navigate this exciting chapter of growth. I have also worked alongside Andy for many years so bringing him on to aid Naturaw’s expansion felt like a natural fit.”
