The growing independent
The Irish Daily Mail – You Magazine – Saturday 3rd May, 2025
Not all success stories in the Irish dog industry involve large companies. Phoenix Bark, founded by Kathy and Duncan, is a small independent dog food brand that has made a significant impact through its commitment to quality and nutrition.
The inspiration for Phoenix Bark came six years ago when Kathy and Duncan (pictured) were volunteering at a homeless shelter in Dublin. Kathy brought some food for a homeless man’s German Shepherd, only to be told, “I wouldn’t feed that s*** to my dog!” This response prompted Kathy to examine the ingredients in commercial dog food, which she found to be subpar. It could be anything, she thought, realising that dogs, like humans, deserve better nutrition.
Drawing on her background in human nutrition and a firm belief that food is medicine, Kathy began home-cooking for her dogs. This passion for wholesome food eventually led to the creation of Phoenix Bark, a brand dedicated to providing high-quality, lightly-cooked meals for dogs. “We saw an opportunity to transform our shared passions into a business,” Kathy says. “We heard an inspiring radio piece on ‘fresh feeding’ and knew we had to make this available to dog lovers in Ireland.”
Fresh feeding refers to providing your dog with a nutritionally complete, species-appropriate diet that includes a balance of minimally processed meat, organs and [sustainably harvested seaweed] accompanied by [whole]foods such as vegetables, fruits and seeds.
Phoenix Bark launched in Kilkeel, Co Down, with support from a community of dog nutrition specialists and organisations like Invest Northern Ireland. “But more than anything, our incredible customers, [42] of whom are now investors, have spread the word and been evangelists for our product and service,” Kathy notes.
Today, Phoenix Bark’s recipes — which include free-range and wild Irish meat, sweet potato and wild organic blueberries — are sold all over Ireland.
Reflecting on their journey, Kathy emphasises the importance of awareness and education in promoting fresh feeding for dogs. “Our ongoing challenge is to increase awareness around the need for ethically-minded, fresh dog food and encourage owners to explore the benefits of fresh feeding, just like we did,” she says.
Please let us know if you’ve any questions about this.
kathy@phoenixbark.com 🙂