Barnsley-based pet food company Walker & Drake has secured a nationwide distribution deal with Pedigree Wholesale which will expose the company’s product range to a much wider customer base.

Walker & Drake recently exhibited at PATS Telford for the first time this year where it launched the new wet food and salmon oil. The stand was extremely busy with existing and potential customers drawn to the vibrant packaging of the range. The company is now following up the leads from the show including interest from a distributor in Japan.

Walker & Drake has received industry recognition in a short space of time. It was voted in 2020 by Yorkshire Insider Magazine as one of the top 50 companies to watch. They were also a finalist in 2021 in both the PetQuip and Pet Industry Federation Awards receiving Highly Commended for the Best New Pet Product (Food) at the PetQuip Awards and this year, they were finalists in four categories in the PetQuip Awards and are nominated in two categories in the PIF Awards which will be presented later on his year. 

Tim Matthews, who founded the business with fellow directors David Taylor and Richard Grant, said: “Walker & Drake was formed with the clear intention of producing a British made, complete nutritional dog food made using the ‘minimal processing’ Cold Pressed technique and good quality ingredients.

“At Walker & Drake we have developed great products with clear nutritional advantages, we strive to create a culture of integrity, to communicate clearly and honestly with our customers, and to educate and support our stockists.

“The shelves are full of too much of the same type of packaging with mixed and confusing messaging. We’re on a mission to change that with big, bold, playful and colourful branding.

“With Cold Pressed being essentially an artisan process (real people operating real machines!)  We can be quite dynamic with our production. We make and bag regular batches to keep best before dates long and move stock quickly through the system. We are particular about ingredient quality and source. We also keep batch samples for traceability and quality consistency purposes.

“We source ingredients within the UK where possible and we feel that with regard to sustainability, we are doing what we can by using as many ingredients that are part of the human food production process.  Our new wet food comes in Tetra Pak cartons.  The single piece of packaging makes it smaller and more compact meaning less lorries on the road, contributing to a smaller carbon footprint. Tetra Pak® has its own recycling plant in the UK, enabling its cartons to be remade into everything from roof tiles to toilet roll cores. Their investment in UK recycling means that over 94% of councils collect the cartons, either from the roadside or from recycling centres

 “We are looking forward to furthering our relationship with Pedigree Wholesale and to see where this will take the brand as we now have nationwide distribution. We are also delighted to have been recognised by the industry having been nominated for so many awards this year.”

For further information visit: www.walkeranddrake.com