Pure Pet Food receives £2m to ‘change pet food for the better’

Pure Pet Food, manufacturer of dehydrated and freeze dried pet food, has secured a £2m investment from NVM Private Equity (NVM) to accelerate its plans to make healthy choices for pet owners easy and accessible. The Yorkshire-based company formed by childhood friends Mathew Cockroft and Daniel Valdur Eha has quickly grown from a tiny business which started life in Valdur Eha’s kitchen, to a brand that is now sold around the world and in major retailers such as Pets at Home. Pure produces natural pet food products in its human grade food facility in west Yorkshire. The company’s manufacturing techniques allow for products that not only address current market trends to feed a low processed and high quality food, but also seeks to avoid the inconvenience and expense which can prevent a significant number of owners from doing so. The investment from NVM comes after a host of recent accolades and achievements for the business. Pure won the Lloyds TSB’s National Best Start-up award and the PetQuip Pet Product Innovation award. Founder, Cockroft, said: “This investment will allow for the development of a much more personalised offering, improving the level of service we can provide to our customers and their pets. We see huge opportunity within this space and by partnering with NVM we now have the resources and experience to realise our vision.” Co-founder, Valdur Eha, added: “We set out to create a food which retained the convenience of a commercial dry or wet pet food, but with the benefits of fresh, wholesome ingredients. This thought process led us to the methods of dehydration and freeze drying, which allow for the gentle preservation of fresh ingredients. Pure requires no refrigeration or freezer space, owners simply have to add water and serve, creating a healthy low processed meal in minutes.” The pair plan to use the funding to support Pure Pet Food’s growth, whilst launching new products, adding to their team and expanding their offering throughout Europe. Aaron Lawson-Clark, investment associate at NVM, added: “NVM is delighted to be backing Dan and Mat to take Pure Pet Food to the next level. The team have impressed demonstrating the skills required to build a business, brand and quality product with limited resources. “We are excited by the potential market for natural convenient pet food in the years ahead and we look forward to working with the team to scale up the business and deliver the future of pet nutrition.”