Updated: Jan 28
As more and more of us are scrutinising our dog's food, prioritising their health and wellbeing, we're looking for the best dog food we can afford.
Unfortunately choosing the best dog food is not as straightforward as most of us would like.
Trying to wrap your head around all the different types of food available, understanding the nutritional value and calculating the daily price can be time consuming.
Let's cut to the chase! Many of us love the scoop and serve convenience of dry food, but ideally we're looking for the high nutritional value associated with the more expensive raw or fresh dog diets.
Cold pressed dry dog food could well be the answer we're looking for. Relatively new on the scene, cold pressed foods are rapidly growing in popularity.
Using innovative manufacturing methods, this type of dry food is extremely nutritious and healthy yet cheaper than a lot of fresh and raw alternatives.
We take a closer look at four pioneering companies - Wilsons, Wild Pet Food, Walker & Drake and Forthglade. We think they are 4 of the best dry dog foods available in the UK.
We offer you 'our take' on the brand, recipes, nutritional information along with guidance on costs.
You, my dog loving friend, can then decide if there's a dry dog food here for you, and of course your dog !
Curious how we test dog food? See our full testing and review methodology
⏰ UPDATED : JANUARY 2026 This review has been refreshed for 2026, with Forthglade Cold Pressed dog food now our top pick and new Wild Pet Food moving into second place. We have also updated pricing, nutritional ratings and product ranges. |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Carefully pressed at lower temperatures than the more traditional dry foods, it's this innovative technique that ensures that cold pressed dog food retains maximum nutrients and goodness.
An additional benefit of this gentler processing technique is it can be easier for some dogs to digest, especially those with sensitive stomachs. Doubtless, this can lead to better nutrient absorption and less waste.
What's more, cold pressed food often boasts higher quality ingredients like whole meats, fruits, and vegetables which can contribute to a shinier coat, healthier skin and more energy for your dog.
Better still, with no grains or gluten, it's a hypoallergenic option so ideal for dogs suffering with allergies, plus all four dog foods we feature in this article are grain free, hypoallergenic and there's not a whiff of junk or cheap fillers.
Ultimately cold pressed dog food is higher quality and more nutritious than many other dry dog foods on the UK market so understandably this is reflected in the price.
However, it's worth bearing in mind that cold pressed dog foods are still a considerably cheaper option than many fresh and raw , delivered alternatives.
Top Tip 👀 - Always check how much your dog will required daily when calculating costs. As cold pressed dry is nutritionally dense, you often find your dog needs considerably less volume of food.
Reasons to Buy :
+ Grain & gluten free
+ Widest range of sizes 2kg - 20kg
+ Award winning recipes
+ Widest range of wet food toppers
Reasons to Avoid :
- No sample pack available
Behind the Brand: 50 years worth of expertise in Pet Nutrition
Range: Cold Pressed Dry, Lightly Baked Dry, wet food, treats & dental sticks
Variety:
Turkey, Duck, Chicken & Salmon
Clarity of Label:
Excellent - full list of ingredient %
Price: £1.41 a day
Based on a 15kg dog + moderate activity + 12kg bag
Buying Options:
⭐️ Stock Up ⭐️
New customers save 40% with discount code SBFG40
Existing customers save 15% with discount code SBFG15
Top of our dry foods recommendations for 2026 is Forthglade. With over 50 years of expertise in pet nutrition and with an ever-expanding range of dry food, wet food, treats, dental sticks they are a well known brand.
Their cold pressed dry food was recently received a Highly Commended Award by Your Dog Magazine. Why is that important? Simply because it was voted for by dog lovers !
For ingredient-savvy dog owners, the first and main ingredient is meat. The independent dog food site - All About Dog Food (AADF), gives it a 75% rating, which is exceptionally high for dry food.
This compares to around the 70% mark for popular dry brands such as Wainwrights, James Wellbeloved, Harringtons and Lily's Kitchen. Which makes it nutritionally one of the best and affordable dry dog foods in the UK.
Taking a closer look at their food, Forthglade offer four cold pressed recipes -
🐓 Chicken (17.5% fresh & 15% dried)
🦆 Duck (17.5% fresh & 15% dried)
🦃 Turkey (17.5% fresh & 15% dried)
🐟 Salmon (16% fresh & 13% dried)
Whilst their cold-pressed range offers the ultimate nutritional punch, we understand that budget is a factor for many pet parents.
Forthglade's offers a second range - Lightly Baked, which provides a slightly cheaper alternative. These recipes boast an impressive 50% single-source protein and have earned a very respectable 70% rating from AADF.
It's worth noting that, all their recipes are suitable for all life stages (puppy through to senior).
Our tester commented that the individual pellets were quite large (9mm diameter) and crunchy compared to their usual brand (seen here on the right with our tester's nose).
Forthglade do offer a turkey recipe with slightly smaller pellets for small breeds and puppies.
We particularly like that their packaging includes a handy window, so you can visually assess the kibble size before buying rather than having to try to feel it through the packaging.
Another thing that makes Forthglade stand out from the crowd for us is their range of sizes. From the 2kg bags to the massive 20kg bags, it's this flexibility that impressed us. Once you know your dog loves the food, you can switch to the money-saving big bags.
We know it's a small point nevertheless it's worth mentioning, of all the dry foods we've tested, we found the Forthglade bags the easiest to reseal and keep the dry food fresh.
Each bag has a durable velcro strip which our testers loved. An important point especially if you're buying a bigger bag and need to keep it fresher for longer!
Forthglade offer a Subscribe and Save option on-line and as with Walker & Drake, you can have your dog food delivered to your door regularly with a 10% saving and free deliveries (on orders over £30).
As well as the four cold pressed dry recipes to choose from, if you have a picky pup, Forthglade offer an exceptionally wide range of complete and complementary wet food which you can add as toppers.
Wet foods are often seen as more palatable for picky pups so make an enticing addition to dry food.
Voted Best Wet Food 2026 by the readers of Your Dog Magazine, Forthglade offer two extensive ranges of complete wet food - Grain Free and Wholegrain.
All their wet food recipes regardless of whether they are grain free or wholegrain, are formulated to include 75% salmon, lamb, duck, beef or turkey. It's worth pointing out that this is an exceptionally high meat content so perfect as a topper with the cold pressed food.
Our Verdict - The bottom line is that we've found that Forthglade's extensive range of cold pressed, lightly baked dry, wet foods offer a convenient one-stop-shop for dog lovers looking for a high quality and nutritious diet at a great price for their dog. |
Buying Options
⭐️ Stock Up ⭐️
New customers save 40% with discount code SBFG40
Existing customers save 15% with discount code SBFG15
Reasons to Buy :
+ Raw food alternative
+ High quality ingredients
+ True 80:20 raw recipes
+ Extensive protein range
+ Grain free - allergy friendly
+ Made in UK
Reasons to Avoid :
+ No accompanying wet food options
Behind the Brand:
Company producing high quality, high meat content raw alternative
Range:
80/20 Cold Pressed ( 80% meat/20% fruit + veg)
Variety :
7 Meat & Fish recipes
Clarity of Label:
Excellent - Full list of %
Price: £1.42 a day (based on a 15kg dog)
Buying Options:
For 15% OFF Wild Pet Food
use our exclusive discount code SMART15 at checkout
Raw dog food is all the rage, and for good reason! It's packed with protein and mirrors the natural diet of wolves. However, dealing with raw meat can be messy and inconvenient. It doesn't suit everyone.
Enter Wild Pet Food – a revolutionary approach to raw feeding.
They take fresh, raw ingredients, dehydrate them, and then use the cold-press technique to create delicious, digestible pellets.
This innovative process delivers all the benefits of a raw diet without the fuss. And the results speak for themselves: Wild Pet Food boasts an impressive 89% nutritional rating on AADF.
Packed with protein and power, the Wild Pet Food range boasts 80% meat, 20% fruit, veggies and superfoods, all sustainable sourced right here in the UK.
We think it's a nutritionally superior product to more established high meat content dry foods such as Eden ( 70% on AADF), Akela (73%) or Orjjen (70%). Wild Pet Food may not have the accompanying wet food range, but you could add a different wet topper
There are four recipes to choose from, suitable for dogs of all ages and sizes :
⭐️ Beef
⭐️ Chicken
⭐️ Fish
⭐️ Surf and Turf
⭐️ Duck
⭐️ Rabbit (lean,low purine)
⭐️ Herring (omega rich)
100% grain, gluten, and legume-free, these recipes are perfect for sensitive stomachs.
And here's the clever bit: Wild Pet Food is remarkably transparent. They list ingredient percentages based on the dehydrated weight, giving you the real deal and cutting through the marketing jargon (I don't need to tell you the lengths some brands go to to make their foods sound healthier than they are!)
This means you're feeding a true alternative to a raw BARF diet -Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
Each recipe is available in 4 different size recyclable bags - 2.5kg, 6kg, 12kg & 18kg. Available online so you can enjoy the luxury of having your dog food delivered direct to your door and even better - shipping is free !
We think that the 2.5kg bag provides a great opportunity to make sure your dog likes Wild Pet Food before you buy a money-saving larger bag. In fact Wild are so confident that your dog will love their food that they offer a 30 day money back guarantee on first orders of the 2.5kg bags.
Their Variety Bundles and Build-Your-Own Bundles offer flexibility and significant savings compared to buying individual bags. Choose from 4 x 6kg or 4 x 2.5kg bags for a happy pup and a happy wallet.
So, what did we think in testing ?
Well it's fair to say, our picky pup loved it, woofed it down - leaving an empty bowl every time! Our testers also commented that the kibble pieces were smaller than many brands so perfect for small breeds as well as large ones.
As a raw fed dog, Wild Pet Food this would be a game changer when travelling - so much easier to take dry food with no cold storage issues.
We're not the only ones that love Wild Pet Food, they've earned a TrustPilot rating of 4.4/5 and have delivered over 1 million meals and counting.
For 15% OFF Wild Pet Food
use our exclusive discount code SMARTBARK15 at checkout
Reasons to Buy :
+ Winner of 2026 Your Dog Awards
+ Extensive protein range
+ Grain free - allergy friendly
+ Made in UK
Reasons to Avoid :
- Bags aren't resealable
Behind the Brand:
Company producing pet food since 1861
Range:
Premium & Working Dog Cold Pressed, Fresh Food, Treats, Supplements & Salmon Oil
Cold Pressed Variety :
Premium, Working Dog & Puppy
Clarity of Label:
OK - Some ingredients without %
Price: £1.48 a day
Based on a 15kg dog + moderate activity + a 10kg bag
Buying Options:
Next in our review is Wilsons, one of the oldest pet food companies in the UK. Founded over 160 years ago in Scotland, Wilsons have earned a place in our review because not only do they offer a quality cold pressed dry food but an accompanying fresh range too.
Wilsons are the only company featured to offer ranges of premium complete cold pressed dry and fresh dog food which you can feed in combination.
So you could opt to feed cold pressed and add fresh food as a tasty topper to improve the appeal of the meal.
The cold pressed range achieves a solid 75% nutritional rating on AADF and includes a wide range of protein options -
🐟 Salmon
🐓 Chicken
🐑 Lamb
🦃 🦆 Turkey & Duck
🦌 🐠 Venison & Trout
🎣 White Fish
🏴 Haggis
🥕🥦 Vegan
🦗Insect
All the recipes are made in their Scottish factories using high quality ingredients to help your dog's skin, coat and immune system. True to their Scottish roots, they offer a haggis flavour - which is incredibly popular 🏴
All are allergy friendly, with the majority grain free plus wheat free, chicken free and pea free options.
New to their Premium range this year is a specific Puppy food. This grain free chicken and salmon recipe is perfect for growing puppies. It's gentle on their tummies and packed with essential nutrients.
There’s also a Working Dog range made with a special blend of protein and carbohydrates, ideal for active, working dogs. All cold pressed recipes are suitable for dogs aged 2 months and upwards.
Unfortunately, Wilsons no longer offer their extremely popular Sample packs but they do offer a 2kg and a 10kg bag.
Let's talk price.
Wilsons is the cheapest daily price of the four dog foods we feature. They are also offering a 10% saving if you Subscribe and Save plus free delivery if you spend over £30.
On top of that, there's a Wilsons Loyalty Club offering points for every purchase which add up to money off future purchases, plus make points with reviews, refer a friend and more.
If you're interested in finding out more about the Wilsons range of fresh food, dog treats and health supplements, take a look at our in-depth review - Wilsons Dog Food Review : Fresh, Cold Pressed, and More
Reasons to Buy :
+ Grain & gluten free
+ Made in UK
+ Award winning small breed food
+ Highest rated on All About Dog Food
+ Sample pack available
Reasons to Avoid :
- We couldn't find any flaws
Behind the Brand: Multi-award winning dog food business
Range: Cold Pressed, Wet Food, Treats, Salmon Oil
Cold Pressed Variety : Adult, Small Breed, Small Bite, Puppy & Working Dog
Clarity of Label: OK - Some ingredients without % (but % available online)
Price: £1.45 a day
Based on 15kg dog + moderate activity + a 10kg bag
(Larger orders volumes will lower the costs )
Buying Options:
For 20% OFF - enter WDSmartBark20
at checkout
Next to feature in our review is multi-award winning Walker & Drake.
They caught our eye as their Dual Protein Turkey and Duck cold pressed food has recently been awarded the UK's highest rated cold pressed dog food on the independent advice site AADF (All About Dog Food) scoring a very impressive 84%.
We've selected Walker & Drake for top spot in our review not just for their exceptionally high quality dog food but their commitment to customers and their superb offer for smaller breeds.
So let's take a closer look at their cold pressed dog food offer.
Completely balanced and designed to provide your dog with all the protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals they require, their recipes are crafted with high-quality meat content and a blend of vegetables and botanicals.
All their recipes have the added aim to ease digestion and provide focussed joint care :-
🐓 Chicken (42% dried)
🐟 Ocean Fish (35% dried)
🦆 Duck (39% dried)
🦃🦆 Dual Protein Turkey & Duck (28% Turkey dried, 22% Duck dried)
The overall percentage of protein is crucial when choosing a dog food. It's worth pointing out that Walker & Drake use dried proteins in the cold pressed process.
This is important as there is no additional moisture loss associated with using fresh proteins - which can ultimately lower the resulting protein percentage.
We love that Walker & Drake really listen and act on their customer's feedback. They've recently reduced the diameter of their standard pellets to 7mm for the main cold pressed range to make their food even more palatable.
Whilst their food is suitable for all life stages, they do offer a specific puppy blend which includes a slightly higher protein content to support growth.
For us the headline feature of their range has to be their award winning Small Breed and Small Bite food. As the name suggests, both are aimed at smaller breeds.
Dog lovers with little dogs often get a poorer deal when buying dog food, so we love that Walker & Drake have specifically designed smaller pellets which are perfect for smaller mouths.
Small Bite - their original cold pressed food which is now available in even smaller kibble size (5mm diameter as opposed to the new standard 7mm) to suit smaller breeds with smaller mouths.
Small Breed - an energy boosting recipe made with turkey and rice, a great source of carbohydrate, vitamin D, fibre & iron.
All their ranges are available in 2kg, 6kg and 10kg bags.
If you would like to try the food first, why not take advantage of one of their great value sample packs. For just £2.99 (with free delivery) you can select from -
🐾 All life stages - Duck, Fish & Chicken
🐾 Small Breed - Turkey & Rice
🐾 Puppy - Duck & Chicken
🐾 Small Bite - Duck, Fish & Chicken
Walker & Drake also offer a 5% Subscribe and Save option on-line and we simply love this stress free regular delivery option plus they offer free delivery on orders over £20.
Our Verdict - We recommend Walker & Drake Cold Pressed dog food if you're looking for a high quality, award winning food at a great price. Due to their smaller pellet options we rate it particularly highly for dog lovers with small breeds |
For 20% OFF - enter WDSmartBark20
at checkout
Take a closer look ...... Smaller breeds with thinner fur can feel the chill more easily. Plus, dogs with shorter legs like Dachshunds & Corgis, may need extra warmth as their bellies are closer to the ground. If you're looking for a winter cost - checkout our popular article - Best Dog Coats UK |
All four brands featured in our review offer top quality dry dog food. They all rate highly on the independent nutritional rating website - All About Dog Food.
Our overall favourite is Forthglade cold pressed, it's the great quality and price you'd expect from Forthglade. Not only do we like their range of sizes on offer from 2kg 'try it out bags' to 20kg 'money-saving bulk packs' but coupled with their extensive range of wet toppers for those picky pups out there, they certainly tick a lot of boxes for us.
If you like the look of raw dog food but enjoy the convenience of scoop and serve dry food then take a look at Wild Pet Food. We rated their smaller kibble pieces, range of proteins and build-you-own bundles for ultimate flexibility and savings.
As for Wilsons, they offer the widest range of proteins, and who doesn't want to try Haggis!
If you have a small breed we would definitely recommend taking a closer look at Walker & Drake as we think that their reduced pellet size is a game changer for smaller dogs. Plus their new Dual Protein cold pressed food has been rated best cold pressed dry food on AADF which is a prized accolade.
Thanks for dropping by and checking out our review of the Best Dry Dog Foods.
Claire is the founder of Smart Bark and a lifelong dog lover.
With a 10 year background in retail buying for one of the UK’s major retailers, she brings a keen eye for quality and value to every dog product review.
Claire personally tests every item featured on Smart Bark with her own family dog and her team of dog testers—so you get honest, expert advice (not recycled marketing blurb) from someone who truly understands what works in real life (and what doesn’t).
No gimmicks. Just trusted recommendations backed by experience.