Dylan Watkins and Louise Mackintosh, founders of raw dog food brand Poppy’s Picnic, have have broken through their crowdfunding target of £350,000 by raising nearly £600,000 in investment.
The capital will be used to develop more recipes (including a new range for cats) and will help to fund their ambitious expansion plans for the business.
The founders gave up careers in advertising and marketing to concentrate fully on running Poppy’s Picnic, under the belief that ‘something big’ was about to happen in the raw pet food market.
Holistic vet Nick Thompson and nutritionist Moddie Lambert also help with the development of the Poppy’s Picnic range. They have both been influential in promoting the raw diet in the UK.
Plans for the future include further investment in digital marketing and PR campaigns for the brand, a major retail and trade launch campaign, investment in larger premises and further expansion overseas following its launch in Hong Kong where it is already in pet shops and supermarkets.
Watkins said: “We have created food to cover all ages and types of dog. Our core Complete range, which comes as mince and meatballs, is perfect for active dogs while our Enhanced mince is ideal for the modern pet. We also have an Expert range of foods with a special purpose, like our Puppy Follow On Paste. Our Bites range includes air dried raw treats and bones.
“We want every cat and dog in the UK, and beyond, to have access to the best quality raw meals – the closest to what they would eat in the wild. It is our ultimate aim to make the raw food diet fun, easier and more convenient for pet owners to follow in order to encourage more people to start feeding their pets in this way.”
