Betty & Butch has helped to bring some joy and happiness to the area's pet-loving community devasted by the tragic Manchester Dogs' Home fire by being crowned UK Pet Retailer of the Year at the PetQuip Awards. 

Still coming to terms with the loss of so many dogs, the people behind this award-winning Manchester business reveal to Pet Trade Xtra why their store has become an integral part of the community. Find out the secrets of their success.

How did Betty and Butch begin?

Betty and Butch began when Paul Fox and Angel Moore were looking for a healthy affordable food for their rescue dog, Duke. They couldn’t find anything on the market that they were happy to feed him, so decided to create their own. They found that the food was so popular that they began to source other natural products and to create their own ranges – and Betty and Butch as we know it was born.

Who are your main customers?

Including a loyal customer base throughout the North West, we ship as far as New Zealand.  Our return customer rate both online and in store is high.  We have a broad spectrum of customers from young to aged and a lot of families. Our main compliment is our affinity with their dogs and no matter how boisterous they are in the store, they are always welcome back.

How do you keep them loyal to your business?

We love to make a fuss of all the dogs that come in, with treats and belly rubs! Aside from that, Angel our General Manager is 100% focused on customer service. Where safe to do so we give advice and we listen to our customers’ needs. If they want us to order a product we don’t stock we will purchase it for them, as long as it meets our ethos.

What are the secrets of your success?

Along with the cliché of hard work and never giving up, we have stuck to our original business plan and we re-structure it every year. When we started we made a conscious decision to come up with our own products and research our ingredients and rely on professional advice that we were making the right decisions.  Every step of the way we have used an intellectual property solicitor to protect our work which has be invaluable in building our brand.

What's it like to be crowned UK Pet Retailer of the Year?

It’s a fantastic feeling to know that all our efforts over recent years have been noticed. We’ve tried very hard to encourage and educate customers on the benefits of healthy dog products, and this is recognition that the way we do things is what people want to see more of. When looking at the competition we had in our category, it really is a proud moment for the company.

Who works in the shop?

Angel and Paul, the General Manager and Director, remain the driving force behind the business. Angel is the creative one, constantly coming up with new ideas, while Paul is the practical one, making sure those ideas are possible! Joe Harrison is the Brand Manager and runs the office, and we have Jonathan our Store Manager with our assistant, Rosie, on the shop floor, and Rose our seamstress.

What goals do you have?

We are currently in the process of franchising the business, and aim to have our first branches out by the end of the year, after which we will continue to strive toward making Betty and Butch a name synonymous with Happy Healthy Dogs. We are also expanding our overseas operations and are in the early stages of speaking to buyers abroad.

How did you respond after the tragic fire at Manchester Dogs' Home?

Paul and Angel’s dog Duke was rescued from Manchester Dog’s Home 10 years ago, so it was heartbreaking to hear the news. Everyone working there is so passionate about animal welfare that we can only imagine what a harrowing experience it must have been. We wanted to help in whatever small way possible, so we set the store as a collection point for donations and gave away some of our own stock. By lunchtime on the first day, we already had a van full of supplies from our customers – it is touching to see how quickly the community responded to the tragedy and we hope to see the charity back on its feet soon.




Above: Paul and Angel celebrate their PetQuip win with Carrie Mosley from the Family Pet Show.

Presentation picture: Paul and Angel receive their award from Emily Cannon, of sponsors Natures Menu.