Barnsley-based pet food company Walker & Drake, which opened a new £900,000 production facility in the town, has been nominated for two PIF Awards – Best New Product (Food & Treats) and Best Online Business.

Director Tim Matthews, who founded the business with 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 delighted to have been recognised by the industry having been nominated for so many awards this year.”

For further information visit: www.walkeranddrake.com