On 30 May, premium dog food manufacturer Walker & Drake has announced the completion of a £900,000 ($1.13 million USD) investment in a new cold-pressed factory.
In order to offer complete-and-balanced formulas for dog food and treats, Walker & Drake was founded in 2019 and started operations during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. The company uses cold-pressed technique with low temperatures to produce soft and gut friendly products. Currently, there is a variety of products available food, treats and accessories suitable for every age and size.
“Our cold-pressed dog food is a premium product focused on gut health, and we are constantly talking with our customers to understand what they want for their dogs,” said director David Taylor, director. “The ability to develop new products in a dynamic fashion is fantastic, and the relationships we have already nurtured with our suppliers means we get the access to the best ingredients available at any time.”
“The requirement for continuing growth driven expansion, and the increased complexities around exporting into Europe, meant we really had to take all production and packing in-house, and built something bespoke to us that future proofed our production capacity,” he continued.
According to the company, the sales of their dog food have strongly increased.
“We must be one of very few companies currently building a new pet food facility in the United Kingdom but we’re passionate about keeping our production here and having control over all aspects of it,” stated Tim Matthews, sales director of Walker & Drake. “Just like the ingredients we use in our products we’ve sourced the equipment, fabrication, and installation from UK companies wherever possible. In fact, apart from one item, all the major components, the design, and installation team are from within a 25-mile radius of our site.”
In 2022, the company has already moved so that there is enough space for the new factory and extra warehouse capacity.
“By starting with an empty space we’ve been able to create an efficient workflow from goods-in, through the production process to bagging, warehousing and then back out the door as finished product,” Matthews said.