The finest gently-cooked dog food…

Phoenix Bark: The finest [gently] cooked dog food I’ve had the pleasure of trying…

Dr Conor Brady’s opinion of our food, from a post on the dogsfirst.ie Facebook page.

Going to give a couple of local pet businesses a push this week. The first one is called Phoenix Bark.

Not just a great name (for those outside Ireland, Phoenix Park is the giant public park we have in the middle of Dublin, the biggest enclosed park in any capital city in Europe, apparently), these guys make some very tasty, tailored meals for dogs. I met Duncan, the co-owner, for a coffee before Christmas. His wife Kathy is the other half of the business. She has a background in human nutrition. And the two of them care A LOT about the product they are putting out.

Phoenix Bark are going for the tailored approach. You first contact them, let them know a bit about your dog. They get a feel for what you need and recommend a feeding plan and, should you wish to continue with their great value trial pack, will make up the food fresh to order.

The ingredients are great. First of all, they’re VERY meaty. And not just crap meat. All their meat comes from Feighcullen Farm which is a sustainable farming set up. It places the environment and animal welfare at the forefront. They create their own ecosystem, making sure that they replenish what they take from the land. All livestock is treated with care and respect – promoting natural feeding, behaviours and growth. And there are no chemicals used in their production.

They also contain 25% veg including sweet potato, cauliflower, kale, carrots, peas, turnip and lentils and 4% superfood including milled flax, pumpkin and chia seeds, kelp, parsley and some eggshell (to avoid the cooked bone).

“I love the way the sausages are bigger or smaller than others”

The food is hand made in sausage form and cooked at the lowest and shortest temperature possible to ensure micro kill. I love the way the sausages are bigger or smaller than others.

Your dog’s daily portion is individually wrapped in compostable greaseproof paper which is not soy or paraffin-based. Duncan was very serious about this. More than any company I have met, these guys REALLY care about the environment and sustainability. So they use Woolcool instead of polystyrene boxes. Even the gum on their stickers if of compostable quality. In fact, the sticker on each daily portion had Dudley’s name on it. That really worked for me. It’s the little things.

The food smells divine and Dudley ate it with gusto though I do accept Dudley is a poor food tester. The guy would literally eat anything. But he DEFINITELY seemed to really enjoy this stuff.

“The sticker on each daily portion had Dudley’s name on it. That really worked for me. It’s the little things”

As you can expect, this food is going to cost more than mass-produced raw that lacks the bells and whistles these guys apply, but I’m positive there’s a space in the market for a product like this.

Check them out. And tell them Conor sent you so I might get more free stuff off them.

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