Yesterday, I stepped into a room alive with warmth and joy. Everywhere I looked, people were smiling, cuddling their dogs, sharing laughter and radiating a pure love that filled the air. At the heart of it all, a crackling fire glowed, casting a cosy warmth, while the twinkling Christmas tree lights added a magical sparkle to the scene. In that moment, I couldn’t help but think, How did we get so lucky? This is a day in the life of Phoenix Bark… surrounded by the incredible dog-loving community of Ireland.
Over five years ago, Duncan and I began developing our first recipes and laying the foundation for what Phoenix Bark has become. Our mission was simple, to make more dogs happy and healthy. From the very beginning, almost every decision we made revolved around one question: What’s best for Phoenix Bark? Seeing how far we’ve come and the astonishing feedback we’ve received has been deeply humbling. We’re not ashamed to admit that many of the stories shared by our customers have brought tears of happiness to our eyes. What a privilege it is to have a job that allows us to be part of so many dog’s journeys to healthier, happier lives. What an honour it is to nourish these family members, your babies, your best friends. We don’t take this for granted and every day we remind ourselves just how lucky we are to have this role in life.
Of course, it hasn’t always been easy. It would be dishonest to share this love and gratitude without acknowledging the moments of despair along the way. There were times we had to pull over on the side of the road, wondering, Do we keep going? Can we handle this? The journey has been full of bumps, obstacles and world events that tested our faith. But in those moments, we always said, “Let’s take a few more steps.” To all the fellow small business owners out there: we see you, we understand your struggles and we commend you for persevering.
Thankfully, those conversations are behind us now. Today, it’s full steam ahead! With an incredible team by our side, we’re achieving more than we ever dreamed possible. To Karen, Niall, Adam, Rebecca, Milena, Charlotte, Jason, Lewis, Sabrina, Helen and Matthew: thank you. Your hard work, dedication, and innovation have not only helped us achieve our goals but have also made us better. We couldn’t do this without you.
To our investors: thank you for your support and faith in us. We are so grateful to have you as part of our community. To our amazing customers: thank you for your loyalty and trust. And finally, to the incredible dogs we have the privilege to feed: we love you. You are the heart and soul of Phoenix Bark đź’›
From all of us here, as we do our last cook of the year – Merry Christmas and a heartfelt thank you.
Here’s to another year of love, joy, and wagging tails!