Unleashing the Goodness: Best Dry Dog Foods

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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 !

UPDATED : JUNE 2025 We've updated this article with the 3 NEW recipes from Wild Pet Food - Duck, Rabbit and Herring

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is Cold Pressed Dry Dog Food ?

Our Picks of The Best Dry Foods

1. Best Dry Dog Food Overall

    Wilsons

2. Best Dry & Wet Food Range

    Forthglade 

3. Best Raw Alternative Dry Food

    Wild Pet Food

4. Best Dry Food for Small Breeds

Walker & Drake

Our Verdict

How We Chose 

What is Cold Pressed Dry Dog Food ?

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.

Our Picks of The Best Dry Dog Foods

1. Best Dry Dog Food Overall

Wilsons

Reasons to Buy :    

+ Cheapest of four featured

   + Winner of 2025 Your Dog Awards

   + Trial boxes available

   + Can combine with raw or fresh ranges

   + Extensive protein range

   + Grain free - allergy friendly

   + Wheat free, chicken free & pea free options

   + 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, Raw Food, Treats, Supplements & Salmon Oil

Cold Pressed Variety : 

Premium, Working Dog & Puppy

Clarity of Label:

OK - Some ingredients without %

Price: £1.38 a day

Based on a 15kg dog + moderate activity + a 10kg bag

Buying Options:

View on Wilsons

First to feature 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 top place in our review because not only do they offer a wide selection of proteins but they offer a slightly different option to solely feeding dry dog food.

Wilsons are the only company featured to offer ranges of premium complete cold pressed dry, fresh and raw dog food which you can feed in combination.

Before you ask, yes you can feed a mixture of both Wilsons cold pressed and Wilsons raw or as they break down in your dog's stomach at the same rate, reducing the risk of your dog's stomach knotting.

Or 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 included the widest selection of proteins out of the four brands featured, including -

🐟 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.

If you would like to try Wilsons before committing to a large order, they offer some popular Sample Boxes. The Premium range (7 recipes x100g as shown below), Working Dog  (5 recipes x100g), and one for Insect & Vegan Protein (6x100g in the two varieties) so your dog can taste test all the recipes.

Their cold pressed dry range achieves an average rating of 75% on the independent nutritional rating website - All About Dog Food (AADF) with their raw range achieving between 82% and 89%.

We thought we'd mention that 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.

View on Wilsons

If you're interested in finding out more about the Wilsons range of raw, fresh food, dog treats and health supplements, take a look at our in-depth review - Wilsons Dog Food Review : Raw, Cold Pressed, and More

2. Best Dry & Wet Food Range

Forthglade

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, NEW Lightly Baked Dry , wet food, treats & dental sticks

Variety: 

Turkey, Duck, Chicken & Salmon

Clarity of Label:

Excellent - full list of ingredient %

Price: £1.62 a day

Based on a 15kg dog + moderate activity + 10kg bag

(larger orders volumes will lower the cost)

Buying Options:

For 15% OFF

enter our discount code SMARTBARK15 at checkout

View Forthglade

View on Amazon

Next in our top dry food recommendations 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 ? - because it was voted for by dog lovers !

Plus, the Forthglade cold pressed range scores a massive 4.7/5 on Trustpilot with lots of 5⭐️ reviews from happy dog lovers and a solid 77% on the independent nutritional ratings website All About Dog Food.

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)

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).

It's worth noting that Forthglade do offer a turkey recipe with slightly smaller pellets for small breed dogs. We love 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.

One thing that makes Forthglade stand out from the crowd is their range of sizes. From the 2kg bags to the massive 20kg (2 x 10kg 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!

Unfortunately Forthglade don't offer a dry food sample pack so the minimum order would be their small 2kg bag.

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 2024 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, wet foods and treats offer a convenient one-stop-shop for dog lovers looking for a high quality and nutritious diet for their dog.

Buying Options

For 15% OFF

enter our discount code SMARTBARK15 at checkout

View Forthglade

View on Amazon

 3. Best Raw Alternative Dry Food

Wild Pet Food

Reasons to Buy :    

   + Raw alternative

   + High quality ingredients

   + True 80:20 raw recipes

   + Extensive protein range

   + Grain free - allergy friendly

   + Made in UK

Reasons to Avoid :

   + Not the widest recipe range

Behind the Brand:

New company producing high quality 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

View Wild Pet Food

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 the AADF website.

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.

There are four recipes to choose from, suitable for dogs of all ages and sizes : 

⭐️ Beef

 ⭐️ Chicken

 ⭐️ Fish

 ⭐️ Surf and Turf

 ⭐️ NEW Duck

 ⭐️ NEW Rabbit (lean,low purine)

 ⭐️ NEW 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.

When you do, their Variety Bundles offer significant savings compared to buying individual bags. Choose from 4 x 6kg or 4 x 2.5kg bags (shown above) for a happy pup and a happy wallet.

So, what did we think in testing ?

Initially, we thought that the packaging wasn't the most striking. However, it's clear that Wild Pet Food prioritised creating a high-quality dog food over flashy aesthetics. This is a commendable approach which we applaud.

But the most important part, what did our testers think ?

Well it's fair to say, our picky pup loved it, woofed it down - leaving an empty bowl every time!

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 4.8/5 and have delivered over 1 million meals and counting.

For 15% OFF Wild Pet Food

use our exclusive discount code SMARTBARK15 at checkout

View Wild Pet Food

4. Best Dry Food for Small Breeds

Walker & Drake

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

View on Walker & Drake

View on Amazon

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, 10kg and a NEW 6kg bag.

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 10% 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.

Or if you're an Amazon Prime customer, take advantage of their next day delivery and order on Amazon.

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

View on Walker & Drake

View on Amazon

Our Verdict

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 Wilsons. They offer the widest range of proteins and are best value.

As for Forthglade cold pressed, it's the great quality as you'd expect from Forthglade and 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.

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 All About Dog Food which is a prized accolade.

How We Chose

Now you may be wondering how we picked these four dog foods ?

We decided to start off our hunt for the best dry dog food by analysing top-selling brands and trending newcomers with rave reviews on retailers like Amazon, Pets at Home, and their own websites.

From there, we also considered brands we've tried out ourselves to create a short list. We made sure we (and our team of Canine Testers) tested the brands featured to check all claims and add some 'real world' feedback.

Without a scientific background, we analysed the nutritional ratings on All About Dog Food, calculated prices per day for a range of dogs, looked into clarity of labelling and assessed the rest of each brand's range.

Our criteria for including brands was based on -

  💛  High nutritional value

  💛  Price

  💛  Range of proteins

  💛  Overall offer to customers

You of course, may have other ideas ! If you think we've missed an absolute corker of a cold pressed dog food - please let us know.

All our products are sent to us by the companies involved and almost always as a result of our request. We only review the products we think are worth reviewing. Thanks for dropping by and checking out our review of the Best Dry Dog Foods.