Updated: 5 hours ago
Looking for the best raw dog food in the UK?
Wondering where to start? You've come to the right place!
We've personally tested five leading brands Bella+Duke, Naturaw, ProDog Raw, Mersey Raw, and Paleo Ridge, with real dogs, real kitchens, and real cost breakdowns.
Since 2019, Smart Bark has been diving deep into the world of raw dog food in the UK. We've reviewed leading companies, assessed their complete raw food diets, compared prices and nutritional ratings and even tested their customer service (because who wants to be left hanging?)
Freddie and his canine crew have put numerous raw food brands to the test, including Naturaw, ProDog Raw, Paleo Ridge, Bella+Duke, Nutriment, Mersey Raw, Wilsons, Nature's Menu, and Poppy's Picnic.
Only the best made it to our Top 5.
Curious how we test dog food? See our full testing and review methodology
Not sure which dog food is right for your dog? Our complete guide covers every food type, with a full comparison table and honest tested recommendations - How to Choose the Best Dog Food
This Buying Guide is your roadmap to navigating the raw food world. Whether you're a seasoned raw feeder or a curious newcomer, this guide will help you choose the perfect brand for your furry friend. Feel free to read the entire article or jump straight to the sections that pique your interest.
So let’s take a closer look at our top 5 raw dog foods and what they have to offer you and of course your dog - Bella+Duke, Naturaw, Mersey Raw, Paleo Ridge and ProDog Raw.
UPDATE : March 2026 - We've updated our article to include Mersey Raw |
IN OUR ARTICLE
We use All About Dog Food (AADF) nutritional ratings throughout our reviews because they're independent, consistent, and the most respected benchmark in the UK for comparing dog food quality. DEFRA approval is our non-negotiable starting point, if a brand isn't DEFRA approved, it simply doesn't make the cut.
Brand | Best For | Daily Cost (12kg dog) | AADF Rating | DEFRA Approved |
Bella+Duke | Overall winner | £2.28 | 90–97% | ✅ |
ProDog Raw | Beginners Bundle | £1.41 | 84–92% | ✅ |
Naturaw | Sustainability | £2.61 | 80–96% | ✅ |
Mersey Raw | Widest selection of proteins | £1.62 | 90% | ✅ |
Paleo Ridge | Widest Range Choice inc. Paleo Plus, Classic, Essentials | £2.44 | 84–92% | ✅ |
NOTE - All prices are long term, Bella + Duke offer a three box introductory offer.
In first place are multi-award winning Bella+Duke, a high quality British raw dog food brand.
We've awarded Bella+Duke first place in our review, not simply for their exceptionally high quality raw dog food but also their holistic, customer-focused raw feeding experience.
We love their transparent ingredient sourcing, personalisation, range, strong customer support and robust safety certifications.
Bella+Duke has both RawSAFE and UK Pet Food certifications, providing you with a high level of reassurance regarding food safety and quality in production
Thanks to their unbeatable combination of quality, safety, and care, Bella+Duke takes the top spot, nudging Naturaw into second place this year.
Amazing Bella+Duke Raw Dog Food Offer!
Get your dog started with 50% off your first box, 30% off the second,
and 20% off the third
Looking for a single brand that keeps both your pooch and your kitty purring? Bella+Duke is the only brand in our review that has you covered for both raw dog and cat food, a total win for pet parents with a lively house full of tails and whiskers.
When it comes to dog food (seriously we know nothing about cats), they offer 4 ranges -
⭐️ Premium Complete
This is their crowd-pleaser, the one most dog lovers pick as their first step. Packed with over 80% meat plus bone, offal, seasonal veggies, berries, and a touch of healthy oils. Every recipe is proudly grain- and gluten-free, so even sensitive tummies can dig in.
⭐️ Complete Superfood
Perfect for pups who need a little extra TLC, whether they're bouncing back from illness, growing up fast, enjoying their senior years, or nursing their own pups. The magic? Superfoods like turmeric, ginger, and kelp for that additional nutritional punch
⭐️ Complete
Tailored for your energetic working dogs, think herders, hunters, or simply canine athletes. This range is designed for sustained energy and endurance with high-quality protein at its core
⭐️ Pure Meat & Bone
Simple and pure, just meat, bone and offal. It’s an ideal base for pet chefs who want DIY meals or care for dogs with allergies or dietary sensitivities. All life stages from puppy to senior can enjoy this range
Each range comes with recipes crafted for puppy, adult, and senior dogs, so there’s truly a bowl for everyone, no matter their age or adventures. In terms of nutritional value, Bella + Dukes ranges score between 90 -97% on the All About Dog Food ( AADF) Independent Review Website. Now that's exceptionally high !
For this review, we put Bella+Duke’s Adult Dog + Premium Complete to the test, and let’s just say, our four-legged taste-tester was begging for more.
Every dog food brand in our review runs on a flexible subscription model which is the standard these days. Skip, pause or cancel whenever you like, hassle-free. No hoops, no guilt trips, just total freedom for you and your hungry hound.
When it comes to ordering, Bella+Duke take things a step further with a handy online quiz: just answer a few fun questions about your dog’s breed, age, activity, and general canine quirkiness.
You get a feeding recommendation tailored to your pup but remember, their daily food quantity suggestion is a starting point, let's be honest, you still know your dog best.
Once your plan is set up, Bella+Duke puts together a suggested menu for your pooch. Not feeling their picks? Mix it up! Craft a personalised menu from their recipe lineup, which includes:
🐾 Protein-Packed Chicken
🐾 Grass-Fed Lamb
🐾 Sustainable Fish
🐾 Nutrient-Rich Duck
🐾 Sustainable Salmon
🐾 Grass-Fed Beef Tripe
🐾 Higher-Welfare Turkey
🐾 Grass-Fed Beef
You can explore the recipes in detail, diving into every ingredient and we love that the recipes are completely transparent with a full list of percentages.
Next, pick the box size that fits your life (and freezer). You then have three options - Taster Box (12 days of food), Most Popular (24 days of food) and Value Box (36 days of food).
The bigger the box, the better the deal per meal, but don’t forget to consider your available freezer space!
If you're curious, you could try the Taster Box, but we’d recommend making the most of their hefty discounts for your first three orders (that’s serious savings on the Most Popular or Value Box sizes).
All Bella+Duke's meals are delivered frozen in 500g trays, ready to stash till mealtime and free delivery makes life extra easy.
Meet Freddie, our 12kg Cockapoo and official mealtime critic!
While Bella+Duke suggested he’d need 300g a day, we played it cool and started him on 250g, super handy, since that’s exactly half a 500g tray plus that left a few calories for an evening dental stick and some training treats.
The only downside we found, and it's a flaw not a dealbreaker, was the packaging. It's not resealable and the paper wrapper was a big soggy having been in the freezer and fridge. We simply decanted the food - problem solved.
How did Freddie feel about it? He couldn't care less about the packaging and let’s just say he gave Bella+Duke two (very fluffy) paws up, bowls licked clean and a very happy wagging tail. Breakfast and dinner have become the highlight of his day!
We felt that Bella+Duke was very reasonably priced. The Adult + Premium Complete range worked out at £1.07 a day for the bigger Value Box rising to £1.78 after the first 3 box introductory offer.
Oh! and we nearly forgot to mention you can choose free treats with every order.
Our Verdict - The bottom line is that we give Bella+Duke a big thumbs up for any dog parent craving hassle-free, high quality raw nutrition. Their meals tick all the boxes, nutritious, convenient, and great value, making life easier for people with full calendars and hungry pups.
Bella+Duke’s flexible subscription and tasty, transparent recipes mean less stress and more wagging tails. Add in their generous introductory deal, and it’s the perfect time to dive into raw feeding and see if it’s a match for you and your dog.
Reasons to Buy + Top-tier food safety and quality assurance + Wide range of protein options + Lifestage options for puppy, adult and seniors + Delivery size options + Full ingredient transparency + Free delivery + Money saving introductory offer |
Reasons to Avoid - Not the best packaging we've tested
|
Buying Options
Amazing Bella+Duke Raw Dog Food Offer!
Get your dog started with 50% off your first box, 30% off the second,
and 20% off the third
Want the full picture? Our dedicated Bella + Duke review dives deeper into the range, real costs, and exactly what Freddie thought read it here.
We've awarded Naturaw second place in our review, not simply for their exceptionally high quality raw dog food but also their commitment to sustainability.
Their menu achieves a very respectable 80-96% on AADF, so Naturaw stands out as a real contender.
Many of today's dog lovers increasingly prioritise sustainability when choosing food for their furry companions.
Sustainability is woven into Naturaws practices, from using 100% compostable packaging to powering their operations with solar energy. They even plant trees with every subscription!
This commitment earned them the world's first B-Corporation accreditation in the raw dog food industry.
Naturaw have kindly offered Smart Bark readers £5 OFF their first order.
Simply use the Voucher Code FREDDIESENTME
Naturaw's commitment to quality shines through in their ingredients. By partnering with local farmers, gamekeepers, and butchers, they guarantee their comprehensive range features only the finest 100% human-grade, UK-sourced meat.
Their Complete raw food is vet approved, nutritionally designed and balanced to provide your dog with all the vital protein, vitamins and minerals they require.
It's worth noting that all their ranges are free from fillers and grains and all their poultry is free range.
The Naturaw range includes two collections:-
The Original (80/10/10) collection gives your dog everything they need to stay fit and active.
An assortment of vegetable-free recipes which are perfect for dogs suffering with allergies and the BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) traditionalist.
Their extensive collection includes a wide range of protein options - chicken, turkey, lamb, duck, venison, beef, fish and pork combinations alongside a recipe specifically aimed at senior dogs needs.
Their second, multi-award winning Forage range is a nutritionally complete raw food. It consists of the same high welfare British meat used in the Original ranges but importantly it's complemented with 10% superfood ingredients.
Atlantic mackerel, fruit, vegetables and botanicals, all natural 'functional' whole foods selected for their nutritional value.
Their extended range includes a variety of proteins - grass fed beef, grass fed lamb, free range chicken, free range turkey, free range pork, venison and a Pure Blend (which you can combine with their other foods).
For this review we tested a selection of both their Original and Forage ranges.
To help you determine how much food your dog needs, Naturaw offers a handy online raw dog food calculator (not as in-depth as Bella+Duke's).
Naturaw delivers their food frozen in convenient 500g (home compostable) trays, perfect for portion control. There's a minimum order of £30, but they also have a neat feature: a returns scheme for the wool liners! Return these liners and get money off your next purchase.
You could opt to dip your toe in the water with 8 x 500g trays of their award-winning Forage range.
This Trial Box is a great way to make sure your dog loves the taste before committing to a larger box. You can even get FREE delivery using a code on their website.
On the other hand, you may prefer to take advantage of one of Naturaw's Original Taster Boxes with FREE delivery.
You definitely get more 'bang for your buck' with the Taster Boxes - not only do you get free delivery, the boxes offer a substantial saving over selecting the products individually.
Plus if you use our discount code you get a further £5 off, not to mention, set up a regular subscription for free treats.
Which brings us neatly onto next day delivery! Naturaw are one of the only raw dog food companies that offer this service. So, if like us, you only realise that you're out of dog food when you are out of dog food, Naturaw could be the answer you're looking for!
Freddie, our 12kg Cockapoo, was initially estimated to need between 240g and 360g of Naturaw raw food daily.
Naturaw offers a variety of options, and Freddie was a big fan! He enjoyed both the Original and Forage ranges, giving their offerings a pawsitive thumbs up.
We also loved that whilst the packaging isn't resealable, it is compostable and wool liners can be returned.
It's definitely worth considering a subscription as Naturaw also offer :
FREE TREATS with every Taster box when you subscribe
5% OFF all other raw food when you subscribe
The truth is that Naturaw aren't the cheapest raw dog food on the market but you are paying slightly more for award winning quality and this level of sustainability.
Our Verdict - We recommend Naturaw as the perfect option for those dog-lovers looking to switch to sustainable and ethically sourced raw dog food. We particularly love the values of the company, the quality of their raw dog food and their sustainable packaging.
Reasons to Buy + 100% human-grade UK sourced meat + Commitment to sustainability + Original & Forage range + Free delivery on Taster Boxes + Forage award winning range + Next day delivery |
Reasons to Avoid
- Not the cheapest
|
Buying Options
For £5 OFF your first order,
simply use the discount code FREDDIESENTME
ProDog Raw really shines when it comes to mixing top-notch quality with great value. They only use human-grade meat from trusted DEFRA-approved, British Farm Assured farms, and their commitment has earned them well-deserved awards.
ProDog Raw's customer care is impressive, with free personalised nutritional and behavioural advice, plus one-to-one consultations that can be easily booked through their website.
If you're on a budget, their 5kg Sample Pack is a brilliant, budget-friendly bundle to get your dog started on raw without stretching your wallet.
ProDog Raw also offer a Sample Pack specifically aimed at dog's with sensitivity issues. Made up entirely of novel proteins, this Sample Pack is perfect as it avoids allergies to more commonly farmed proteins.
For our review, we sampled a Mixed Bundle of ProDog Raw food for 12 weeks.
Buying Options
Ready to try ProDog Raw?
Enjoy £10 OFF your first order
They offer five collections of raw food - Adult Complete, Pure 80:10:10, Puppy Meals, Smart Chubs with Boost and their Exotic range.
The Adult Complete Range is all about options, think of it as the doggy buffet! Every meal is perfectly balanced, so you can handpick your pooch’s favorites or snag a money-saving bundle. Plus, the complete range scored a tasty 92% nutritional rating on AADF, so you know every bowl is packed with goodness.
The Pure Recipes are for the DIY dog chef in all of us. With an exact 80:10:10 blend of meat, bone, and organs, and an impressive 90% AADF rating, it’s the ultimate base for anyone who likes to sprinkle in their own twist.
The Puppy Range is whipped up into a finer mince, making it just right for tiny mouths and teething pups, so even the littlest pups can lap it up with ease.
Their Exotic Range is created especially for dogs with food intolerances and gut issues, made with novel single proteins and green vegetables (no starchy veg).
And last but definitely not least, there’s the Smart Chubs with Boost is their Economy Range. This one’s perfect for anyone looking for serious value, but still packing a 80% AADF nutritional punch.
If you’re new to raw, we'd recommend starting with their balanced Adult Complete Range available in either 500g or 1kg trays. Consisting of a massive collection of recipes from chicken and duck to white fish and even rabbit there's plenty of variety for your dog.
We were particularly impressed with ProDog Raw's extensive exotic protein range including goose, venison and wild boar for those dogs suffering from allergies and intolerances.
The Complete recipes also incorporate a selection of fruit and vegetables, sea kelp and Scottish salmon oil, and nutrient boosters like wheatgrass and ground pumpkin seeds alongside the main proteins.
The food is delivered frozen and once defrosted the food lasts 4 days in the fridge.
Their raw dog food calculator suggested 260g daily for a 12 kg adult dog. As with some of the other raw foods reviewed, we offered half a tray (250g) knowing we could give a few additional treats without overfeeding.
Consider the freezer space you will need to set aside for storage. As you can see, we have a particularly compact freezer but could comfortably fit in 2-3 weeks worth of trays.
We found the 500g tubs easier to accurately divide into meals than the larger 1kg tubs and easier to slot into the freezer drawers. It's worth mentioning that all the packaging is plastic and whilst it's recyclable it doesn't seem that environmentally friendly compared to Naturaw.
ProDog Raw offers a convenient and budget-conscious solution with their selection of 16 different bundles.
We love these bundles as they combine various raw food options at a discount compared to buying individual trays. You can expect savings of up to 20% depending on the bundle you choose plus that all important free delivery.
For a 12kg dog, the cheapest 'Mixed Bundle' costs £1.32 a day which is excellent value.
However, an important consideration is the freezer space you will need as the smallest ProDog Raw Bundles are 10kg.
You can of course opt to build your own box by choosing your favourite recipes. Bear in mind that the 500g trays work out slightly more expensive per 100g than the 1kg trays and whichever you choose, you will need to add on a delivery charge.
Freddie adored ProDog Raw and he actually devoured the complete bowl the minute it was served which never happened with his kibble meals.
Our Verdict - ProDog Raw delivers a well-rounded, great-value range that’s hard to beat. From their money-saving bundles with free delivery to an impressive variety of exotic proteins, there’s something to suit every dog’s needs and preferences.
Their loyalty scheme is a nice bonus for regular customers, and the budget-friendly Smart Chubs makes raw feeding more accessible for everyone. If you're looking for choice, quality, and savings in one place, ProDog Raw is well worth a try.
Reasons to Buy + Great value sample packs + Money-saving bundles + Wide range of proteins including exotics + Loyalty scheme + Free tailored nutritional & behaviour consults |
Reasons to Avoid - Expensive delivery charge (non-bundles) - Lots of plastic packaging
|
Buying Options
Ready to try ProDog Raw?
Enjoy £10 OFF your very first purchase
No code required
New to raw feeding? Start with our guide to the benefits and risks
Mersey Raw are a proudly Liverpool-based raw dog food brand built on Scouse spirit, proper values, and a genuine love of dogs.
It all started with Ben, a local lad preparing homemade meals for his own dogs, Luna and Pluto. No grand masterplan, just one devoted dog owner determined to do better at dinner time. What began as a passion project has since grown into a nationwide brand, delivering fresh, carefully crafted meals to dogs right across the UK. Built bowl by bowl, from the ground up.
That community-rooted ethos runs through everything they do. Local sourcing. Small batch production. Sustainable thinking. Ethical standards. It is care over convenience and quality over quantity, the kind of brand built on doing things the right way, not the easy way.
And it shows. Mersey Raw are DEFRA approved, meaning every product meets strict UK standards for safety and quality. For dog owners who want both peace of mind and premium ingredients in the bowl, that accreditation speaks volumes.
All Mersey Raw food is sourced from Red Tractor certified farms, a rigorous assurance scheme covering food safety, animal welfare, traceability, and environmental standards. It's a solid foundation.
The range is straightforward by design. No frills, no fuss. Just honest raw food done well.
Complete Minces
Built on the trusted 80/10/10 principle - 80% meat, 10% bone, 10% offal. These recipes are fully balanced, standalone meals. Defrost and serve. Job done.
Choose from a genuinely impressive 15 proteins: Chicken, Chicken & Beef, Chicken & Tripe, Chicken & Lamb, Turkey, Pork, Lamb, Pork & Lamb, Goat & Venison, Goat & Goose, Wild Rabbit & Oily Fish, Wild Rabbit & Fur, Meaty Mince, Meaty Mince & Tripe, and Exotic Meaty.
Mersey Raw recommend rotating proteins regularly, and topping things up with oily fish or eggs here and there. Modern research backs this up suggesting that varied proteins mean a wider amino acid profile, more diverse gut bacteria, and better digestion overall.
It's worth noting that there's no premium complete range with added vegetables, botanicals, or superfoods. If that's important to you, Bella+Duke's Premium Complete or Naturaw's Forage range are worth a look ( although you'll pay more for the extras).
Complementary Minces Bone-free and offal-free, these five recipes, Venison, Duck, Venison & Duck, Beef, and Beef & Tripe, are designed to be mixed and rotated as part of a broader diet, not fed solo.
Freddie's verdict? Bowl cleared. Licked clean. Then a hopeful lap back just to be sure.
In testing, we thought that the mince itself is smooth and consistent, familiar territory if you've fed Bella+Duke or Paleo Ridge. Noticeably smoother than ProDog Raw, which could actually work in your favour with fussier eaters or dogs transitioning from wet food.
All 20 recipes are suitable for every life stage, puppy to senior.
And yes, smaller, firmer stools are very much on the cards. Less filler in, less waste out. Your poo bags will notice the difference.
When we tested their food we were impressed by the variety on offer. Why does variety matter? Modern research shows that different protein sources offer unique amino acids, fats, and nutrients. Feeding a mix of proteins can help support a wider range of gut bacteria, which is linked to better digestion and overall gut health.
With Mersey Raw, they offer 20 different recipes so you’ve got plenty of ways to keep mealtime interesting and gut‑friendly. All their recipes are suitable for all life stages from puppy to senior.
As for Freddie's verdict? Enthusiastic doesn't quite cover it. Bowl cleaned in minutes, followed by a hopeful lap back to double-check he hadn't somehow missed a morsel. Classic Freddie!
If your dog is anything like ours, we'd strongly recommend a slow feeder bowl or lick mat. Raw food in particular seems to trigger a level of excitement that suggests they haven't eaten in weeks rather than hours!
In terms of texture, the mince sits in familiar territory, smooth and consistent, very similar to Bella+Duke and Paleo Ridge, just without the vegetable chunks you'd find in those recipes. If you're used to ProDog Raw's slightly coarser, chunkier mince, Mersey Raw will feel noticeably smoother, something fussier dogs or those transitioning from wet food may actually prefer.
Here's something genuinely rare in the raw food world, Mersey Raw have their own shop. If you're within striking distance of Liverpool, it's worth a visit. See the full range in person, get hands-on with the products, and have a proper chat with the team. Open daily 8:30am–4:30pm at 13 Bridle Way, Bootle, Liverpool L30 4UA.
For everyone else, it's online, and there's plenty of flexibility. You can subscribe or simply place a one-off order if you want to dip a paw in before committing. We love that option. There's also a quiz, so you can get a tailored recommendation on feeding amounts and recipes for your dog.
When it comes to delivery, Mersey Raw genuinely sets the standard. Next-day delivery, seven days a week. Order before 1pm and it goes out the same day. Perfect for those moments you only notice the food has run out when it already has.
The packaging is brilliant too. Sturdy, stackable square tubs with colour-coded, semi-transparent labels, no more squinting at every pack to find tonight's protein. Leakproof lids, clean portioning, and we fitted 10 packs into two thirds of a freezer drawer with ease.
The tubs are 100% recyclable, which is a positive step, though if full eco-credentials matter to you, Naturaw still leads the way with compostable packaging and their wool liner return scheme.
Delivery is £6.95 on orders under £65, and free above that, so the bigger the box, the better the value.
Subscriptions offer 15% off your first two deliveries and 10% off for life. Well worth it if you're planning to stick around.
New to raw?
Three starter bundles make it easy:
Small - £35
Medium - £65
Large - £90
Each includes a mix of recipes, a lick mat or slow feeder, some treats, and a step-by-step Transition Guide. A genuinely helpful starting point.
More experienced feeder?
The Tailored Feeding Plan is worth two minutes of your time. Answer a few quick questions about your dog and Mersey Raw will calculate daily grams and portion sizes for you.
To give you a real-world example: a 12kg Cockapoo eating 240g a day works out at around £1.63 per day on a monthly delivery. Subscription pricing brings that down further.
Want full control? Build Your Own Box from £15, mix and match exactly what you want. Opting for 1kg tubs over 2x500g packs can also save you money, just bear in mind defrosted mince keeps for three days in the fridge, so plan your portions accordingly.
There are also ready-made bundles if you'd rather keep it simple, Mixed, Exotic, Chicken-Free, and Raw, available in a range of sizes. A stress-free way to keep variety in the bowl without overthinking it.
Our Verdict - Twenty recipes. Genuinely unique proteins. Affordable pricing. Practical packaging. And a brand built on proper values from the ground up.
Mersey Raw won't tick every box, there's no superfood-enriched complete range if that's your thing. But for variety, value, and no-nonsense raw feeding done well, it's hard to argue with.
Beginner or seasoned feeder, this one earns its place in the freezer.
Reasons to Buy + Wide range of proteins + Subscription or one-off ordering options + Great value + Next day delivery |
Reasons to Avoid - No premium superfood or vegetable enriched range |
Buying Option
Paleo Ridge offers complete alongside complementary raw dog foods for both experienced and those of you new to raw feeding.
For beginners, Paleo Ridge take the guesswork out of the move to raw dog food. A well thought through 'Switch to Raw Hamper' contains everything you need to make a super smooth transition.
Better still, they offer the Essentials range, which is their entry level, cheapest frozen raw dog food offering great value for money.
It's this attention to detail that Paleo Ridge offer their dog loving customers, which led us to 'dip our toe in the water' and trial their raw dog food.
We reviewed a selection from the Paleo Ridge range over the course of 12 weeks and recommend it as a great all-round raw food if you're looking to make the switch.
Their complete raw dog food is available in a choice of three ranges - Classic, Paleo Plus & Essentials.
The Classic range adopts the popular 80/10/10 principle with each meal containing 80% human-grade, outdoor-reared meat, 10% offal and 10% bone.
This is perfect for dogs with allergies as you can carefully monitor additions and ingredients. The Classic range achieves an average nutritional rating of 84% on the AADF website.
Their Paleo Plus range, takes this a step further combining 95% meat, offal and bone with the added bonus of 5% natural superfoods. This range achieves a high 89% nutritional rating on AADF.
Got a dog with kidney woes or a sensitive tummy? Paleo Ridge has your back with their Special Diet recipe, carefully crafted to be low in fat, purine, or phosphorus, just what the vet ordered for pups with kidney issues.
For the golden oldies, there are two senior dog recipes with less bone (gentler on delicate tummies) and a splash of immune-boosting superfoods to keep them sprightly.
New addition to the family? Their Paleo Puppy collection is packed with choice: turkey, lamb, chicken and beef tripe, and duck recipes. Your growing pup will have no chance to get bored, and you can rest easy knowing they’re getting all the right nutrition.
If you’re keen to save some pennies, don’t look past Paleo Ridge’s Essential range.
It’s designed to deliver the nutritional punch of raw feeding at the friendliest price point. We put it to the test with Freddie, our Cockapoo taste-tester (and expert beggar). Verdict? Bowls licked clean, every time.
The Essentials range lands at 89% on AADF, so for a budget-friendly option that doesn’t compromise on your dog’s wellbeing, we think it’s definitely worth a try!
No matter which Paleo Ridge range catches your eye, you can either mix things up with a variety bundle or handpick each recipe individually. This flexibility makes it super simple to tailor your order, whether you want to try a broad selection or stick to your pup’s favorites
We kicked things off by sampling the Switch to Raw Hamper, a generous 8kg box combining both Paleo Plus and Classic recipes. It was the ideal starting point, making it easy to get a taste of their bestsellers and plenty of variety for our dog.
Four-year-old cockapoo, Henry, put a new raw food hamper to the test during his dietary switch from kibble. Our canine connoisseur's family initially harbored two worries about the raw food transition :
The first hurdle they anticipated was the transition process itself and any potential digestive upset that might come with it. Thankfully, Henry sailed through the switch with no issues!
Their second concern was the extra prep time raw feeding might require. While it's true that raw food takes a bit more planning than simply pouring kibble at dinnertime (defrosting is key!), it wasn't a major obstacle.
We have to be honest, out of all the brands we tried, Paleo Ridge’s website left us scratching our heads the most. At times, the stock situation was pretty dire (just two out of six Essentials recipes were actually available during our experience), making it a challenge to pick what we wanted.
Their Raw Feeding Calculator is…well, basic. It’s literally just a weight input, so compared to other brands (hello, Bella+Duke’s detailed questionnaire!) it felt like a bit of a letdown.
And a little grumble: despite what we hoped, the Switch to Raw Bundle didn’t qualify for free delivery, which was disappointing after seeing other brands offer it.
On a brighter note, the portion size options at Paleo Ridge are brilliant—you can choose from 250g, 500g, or 1kg packs to suit your needs. Next day delivery is available, and best of all, all the packaging is compostable, biodegradable, or recyclable, so you can feel good about your order’s impact on the planet
Paleo Ridge suggested that Henry should consume approx. 240g–300g of dog food daily. For the Switch to Raw Hamper this worked out at costing £1.72 for 240g a day.
If you choose to feed entirely from the slightly cheaper Classic range this would reduce the price further to approx. £1.26 a day. Their new Essentials range is better value still, at approx. £1.14 a day.
Our reviewer noticed smaller and firmer dog poo (could mean less poo bags) and Henry's coat appeared softer and shinier.
They were so pleased with Paleo Ridge that they are continuing to feed a raw diet and have invested in a small freezer for the garage so they can place even larger and better value orders.
Our Verdict - Paleo Ridge offers three tasty ranges - Paleo Plus, Classic, and Essential, so there’s a meaty match for every pup and every budget. We especially love their wallet-friendly Essential range.
Reasons to Buy + Award-winning food + Switch to Raw Bundle + 8kg money-saving bundles + Cheapest Essentials range + Small 4kg minimum orders |
Reasons to Avoid - Additional delivery costs - Basic raw food calculator - Lots of out of stock products (in testing) |
Buying Option
All the companies featured in our article offer beautifully balanced and complete raw dog food which is approved by nutritionists.
If you're looking for a great company to start your journey with raw feeding, we would suggest Bella+Duke. They tick all the boxes for quality, price & range. They also offer extensive educational resources, active customer support, and a community of over 25,000 raw feeders, making it easier for newcomers to raw feeding to find help and answers.
For those dog lovers looking for ethically sourced high quality raw dog food alongside 100% compostable packaging and a commitment to sustainability, then Naturaw is definitely worth a closer look.
We must mention ProDog Raw's great value sample packs, Mersey Raw's protein range plus flexible ordering and Paleo Ridge's Essential Range which are all great options if you want to dip your toe in the water without the financial outlay.
🐾 Confused by the label? Our plain-English guide decodes dog food labels so you know exactly what you're feeding — How to Read Dog Food Labels |
Before you dive headfirst into a freezer full of dog food, here's our top tips to picking the right raw dog food for your dog and you :
All the companies here deliver their raw dog food direct to your door.
Our first bit of advice is to be aware that raw dog food arrives frozen and needs to be stored in your freezer until needed. Consider your storage space and what's more, take a look at the delivery intervals and minimum order sizes on offer by each company.
This is a great way to make sure your dog loves the food before you make a large financial commitment. Also look out for transition bundles which can help you manage the switch to a raw diet.
Do you need to take account of allergies, an older dog's dietary needs or a puppies nutritional requirements ?
We've highlighted not just the standard raw range but also any other specific ranges on offer by each company.
Raw feeding for dogs should not only aim to be balanced and nutritious but also include lots of variety. When selecting your products, ideally you should be aiming to feed at least 5-6 different protein types over a 2-month period. Most mixed bundles offer a great value and varied selection.
Some companies run loyalty schemes so you can save money long term, others offer deep-cut introductory offers and most offer a Subscribe & Save option for regular deliveries. All are worth considering and we try to provide the latest information on each.
Yes!, puppies can absolutely thrive on raw food. All the brands we tested offer recipes suitable from puppyhood through to senior years, so there's no need to wait until your dog is fully grown to make the switch.
A few brands go further with a dedicated puppy range. Bella+Duke, Naturaw and ProDog Raw all offer recipes formulated specifically for growing pups, higher in the nutrients needed during that all-important first year. ProDog Raw even mills their puppy mince finer, making it easier for tiny mouths and teething pups to manage.
The key is following each brand's transition guidance carefully. Most include a step-by-step guide. Mersey Raw's New to Raw bundles include one as standard, which we thought was a genuinely helpful touch for first-timers.
Yes, and noticeably so. Because dogs absorb far more of what's actually in raw food, there's considerably less waste coming out the other end.
In our testing with Freddie, our 12kg Cockapoo, stools on raw were consistently smaller and firmer across every brand we tried. The lower carbohydrate content and higher digestibility of raw food is the reason, there's simply less undigested filler to pass through.
As a general rule, no. Raw and dry foods are processed by your dog's digestive system at very different rates. Raw food moves through quickly, while kibble takes much longer to break down. Feeding both together can cause stomach upset and digestive discomfort, so it really is a case of one or the other.
That said, transitioning gradually is absolutely fine. When switching to raw, most brands recommend a slow introduction over 7–10 days, reducing the old food while increasing the raw, rather than a sudden overnight swap.
All the brands we reviewed provide transition guidance.
More than you might think. Our honest advice is to consider investing in a small dedicated freezer for dog food if you can. It might feel like an extravagance at first, but ordering in larger volumes unlocks meaningful savings that can offset the cost surprisingly quickly. It also removes any hygiene concerns around storing raw pet food alongside your own.
To give you a real-world example: when testing Mersey Raw's square stackable tubs, we fitted 10 packs comfortably into two thirds of a single freezer drawer, and estimated around 20 packs could fit in one drawer, which is roughly a month's supply for a 12kg dog.
Packaging makes a bigger difference than you'd expect here. Mersey Raw's square tubs stack brilliantly. Bella+Duke and ProDog Raw's trays are manageable, though slightly less space-efficient. If freezer space is genuinely at a premium, factor the packaging format into your decision, it's more practical than it sounds.
Yes, and plenty of owners do, but it's not as straightforward as it looks. Getting the ratios right, ensuring genuine nutritional balance, require a solid understanding of canine nutrition. Unless you're already experienced, it's easy to miss key nutrients without realising it.
If you do want to go the DIY route, we'd strongly recommend adding a quality supplement to fill any nutritional gaps. We rate GWF Nutrition's Raw Aid, a UK brand with over 50 years of experience in animal nutrition. It contains 27 essential vitamins and minerals, comes in grain-free pellet form, and is designed specifically for dogs on an 80/10/10 raw diet. Easy to mix in, and good peace of mind that the bowl is properly balanced.
For most owners though, a trusted complete raw brand removes all the guesswork.
Yes, typically. Raw food has a significantly higher moisture content than dry kibble, so raw fed dogs tend to stay better hydrated through their food alone and drink noticeably less from their bowl.
That said, fresh water should always be available regardless of diet. And in our experience, no amount of hydration science will stop a dog from preferring a muddy puddle to their own water bowl.
Raw food in particular seems to trigger a level of excitement that suggests your dog hasn't eaten in weeks rather than hours. Freddie is very much guilty of this, bowl cleared in minutes, followed by a hopeful lap back just to double-check he hadn't missed a morsel.
A slow feeder bowl or lick mat is the simplest fix, and we'd strongly recommend one if your dog eats at pace. These specially designed bowls and mats make dogs forage around for their food rather than gulping it down in one go, which slows the whole process down naturally.
Beyond that, slower eating reduces the risk of bloating and supports better gut health overall.
We've tested a wide range, take a look at our guide to the 10 Best Slow Feeder Dog Bowls to find the right fit for your dog.
Possibly, and for many dogs, that's actually a good thing. Raw food is considerably lower in carbohydrates and bulking fillers than most kibbles, which means some dogs naturally lean out over time, even on the same caloric intake.
In our testing, Freddie lost a little excess weight on raw and genuinely looked trimmer and healthier for it. Nothing dramatic, just the kind of subtle shift that tells you a diet is working.
The key is monitoring portions and adjusting as you go. Most brands offer a feeding calculator or tailored plan to give you a solid starting point, but you know your dog best. Keep an eye on body condition and tweak accordingly.
You might be interested .... |
Swapping dog foods is relatively straight forward if you follow the guidelines. Whilst all the companies in our article offer information on transition, we explore your options in-depth - How to Switch to Raw Dog Food |
Thanks for dropping by and reading our in-depth review of the best raw dog food in the UK, we really hope it was helpful in selecting the best food for your dog.
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.