Meet Ian. In the heart of East Anglia, Ian and his family run a farm where raising British free-range country duck has been part of everyday life for 28 years. For Ian, it is not about producing as much as possible, but about raising ducks with respect for animal welfare, nature and the experience his family has built over nearly three decades.

Here, the ducks are given the time and space to grow, with the freedom to range across large grassy meadows, move naturally and explore their surroundings. Combined with careful handling throughout their lives, these conditions are designed with a focus on good animal welfare and minimising unnecessary stress. Their active lifestyle and slower growth also help develop meat with more character, natural succulence, a firmer texture and a richer flavour. All of this translates into our belief that the best food can also be the best medicine.

The philosophy then becomes simple: better animal welfare makes for a better ingredient. And we carry that quality all the way to every meal. While more conventional dog foods may use lower-cost animal by-products, we choose real duck meat – not feathers, beaks or other low-value animal parts. It provides a natural source of protein and essential amino acids, which contribute to strong muscles and a healthy, active body – with irresistible flavour that comes from the ingredient itself.

It is precisely this British free-range country duck that we are proud to select for our meals.

Better welfare. Better ingredients. Better choices.

Meet Mark. For Mark, a great meal does not begin in the kitchen – it begins on the farm. On his family’s farm in South East England, British free-range chickens have been raised with a focus on quality from day one for the past 30 years. Here, the chickens have access to the outdoors and natural daylight, giving them room to move, forage and express their natural behaviours.

It is a world away from intensive production, where large numbers of birds may be kept within limited space. On Mark’s farm, the chickens are given more space, greater opportunity for natural movement and time to grow, with conditions designed around high standards of animal welfare and minimising unnecessary stress.

And we choose chicken for a reason. Real chicken meat is naturally lean, highly digestible and rich in protein and essential amino acids – important building blocks for strong muscles and a healthy, active body. We choose the meat, not cheap fillers, feathers, beaks or other low-value animal parts.

The conventional pet food industry, and many of those drawn to it purely by commercial opportunity, would have you believe that protein is simply protein. We believe there is far more to it than that. The way an animal is raised, the provenance of the ingredient, its freshness and its quality all matter.

Achieving that level of transparency takes commitment. For purpose-driven companies like ESSENTIALS, it means going further to know and document the precise provenance, freshness and quality of the ingredients we choose.

That is our idea of British free-range chicken: knowing where it comes from, how it was raised and what ultimately goes into every meal. Better welfare. Better ingredients. Better choices.

Meet Frank. On Scotland’s rugged north coast, Frank has been raising Scottish salmon since 1980. The philosophy is simple: give the salmon the very best conditions, and you get the very best quality.

And the quality of the salmon matters. While conventional dog foods may rely on lower-cost animal ingredients, at ESSENTIALS we take the opposite approach. We prioritise generous amounts of fresh meat and fish, ingredients with documented provenance, and produce of the very same standard we would expect from an exceptional meal ourselves.

Not simply because it tastes exceptional, but because high-quality salmon is a natural source of highly digestible protein, essential amino acids and the valuable omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, all of which contribute to strong muscles, cognitive function, healthy skin and a glossy coat – affectionately known among insiders as the “ESSENTIALS shine”.

Once you realise that not all proteins are created equal – far from it – nutrition takes on an entirely different importance in supporting a long, thriving life. And this is exactly what we relentlessly strive to achieve at ESSENTIALS.

We believe the quality of every ingredient matters. That investing more in exceptional ingredients is an investment in the nutritional foundation for a long, healthy and thriving life. Our ambition is simple: to create the best possible nutritional foundation for exactly that.
Better ingredients. Better choices. For a lifetime of extraordinary meals.

It is this shared, uncompromising approach that makes Frank one of the suppliers we are proud to work with.

Meet Terry. In the clear freshwater, Terry works with one of the ingredients we value highly in our meals: fresh trout. A beautifully simple ingredient, chosen not only for its delicate, natural flavour, but for the exceptional nutrition it brings to every bowl.

Trout is a natural source of highly digestible protein and essential amino acids, helping to support strong muscles and a healthy, active body. It also naturally provides the valuable omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which help support cognitive function, healthy skin and a glossy coat – with that characteristic shine affectionately known by those who serve our meals as the “ESSENTIALS shine”.

And there is more beneath the surface. Trout naturally provides a range of vitamins and minerals alongside its protein and beneficial fatty acids, while delivering valuable nutrition without the higher levels of saturated fat associated with some meat ingredients. That is exactly why we use fresh trout from Terry and his farm. He supplies us with fresh trout of human-grade quality, rather than the more conventional, lower-cost alternatives that may keep the price down but lack the magic.

For us, every single ingredient has to earn its place in the recipe – through its quality, its nutritional value and, of course, its exceptional taste.

Because an extraordinary meal does not begin in the kitchen. It begins with exceptional ingredients and the people behind them. That is how we create the best possible nutritional foundation for a long, healthy and thriving life.

Better ingredients. Better choices. For a lifetime of extraordinary meals.

There is something beautifully simple about an egg. A naturally nutritious ingredient, chosen for what it brings to every meal.

And we at ESSENTIALS have chosen eggs for a reason. Eggs are a highly digestible source of protein with a high biological value. They contain all the essential amino acids needed and provide important building blocks for strong muscles and a healthy, active body.

Rather than filling the meal with cheap animal by-products, we have chosen an ingredient that naturally provides high-quality protein: eggs.

Because when the same high quality is served every single day, year after year, we believe every single ingredient matters.

Better ingredients. Better choices. For a lifetime of extraordinary meals.