Updated: 19 hours ago
Us dog lovers are far more food-focused than ever before. We scan labels, question ingredients, and want clean, natural nutrition with minimal processing and absolutely no fillers or artificial additives. It is not just about feeding the dog anymore, it is about fuelling them properly.
That shift in mindset is exactly why smaller, specialist brands like Mersey Raw are turning heads.
There is something reassuring about a brand built on proper values. Local sourcing. Small batch production. Sustainable thinking. Ethical standards. It is care over convenience and quality over quantity.
Mersey Raw are DEFRA approved, which means every product meets strict UK standards for safety and quality. For owners who want peace of mind alongside prime ingredients, that matters.
Proudly Liverpool-based with a strong regional identity and proper community roots, Mersey Raw blends Scouse spirit with serious nutrition. So the question is, could this bold, homegrown brand be the UK’s best local raw food favourite?
In this article, we are diving deep into everything Mersey Raw has to offer. We will explore ingredient quality, nutritional value, recipe variety, and of course, the daily cost. Because great food has to work for your dog and your budget.
So settle in and let’s see whether Mersey Raw could be the perfect match for your four-legged friend. As always, this review follows our structured dog food testing process to assess safety, nutrition, and palatability, giving you clear, honest insight before you fill the bowl.
⚡ QUICK ANSWER ⚡A week in and Freddie's verdict is firmly pawsitive! Mersey Raw may not be decking out their recipes with superfoods and vegetables like some of the premium players, but what they do, they do really well. A massive range of proteins, both Complete and Complementary options, strong nutritional ratings and some seriously good value bundles make this a brand worth barking about. Whether you're new or an experienced raw feeder looking for quality without the premium price tag, Mersey Raw is certainly worth a look. |
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Every great brand starts with a simple idea and in this case, it started in a Liverpool kitchen. Mersey Raw began with Ben preparing homemade meals for his own dogs, Luna and Pluto. No grand masterplan. Just one dog owner determined to do better at dinner time.
What grew from that passion project is now a nationwide brand delivering fresh, carefully crafted meals to dogs across the UK.
It is a proper grassroots story. From local lad to growing business, built bowl by bowl. And that entrepreneurial energy has not gone unnoticed.
Founder Ben McIntyre was named a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year at the Entrepreneurs Awards, recognition that places him alongside ambitious business leaders making real impact in their industries. Here at Smart Bark, we always like to see UK homegrown talent thriving, especially when dogs are at the heart of it.
But awards aside, what really matters is what ends up in the bowl. So whether you are curious and considering the switch for the first time, or you are an experienced raw feeder looking to broaden your options, join us as we dig into Mersey Raw and discover exactly what it brings to Britain’s dog lovers.
Right, let’s get into the numbers. Mersey Raw scores a seriously impressive 90% on the independent rating site All About Dog Food (AADF).
That places it right at the top of the nutritional table and comfortably ahead of many familiar High Street names. For context, Lily’s Kitchen typically scores between 70 - 80%, Harringtons sits around 48 - 70%, and James Wellbeloved lands between 58 - 65%. On paper, that is strong stuff.
Now, it is worth saying this score puts them in line with other high quality brands. Raw diets tend to perform well on All About Dog Food thanks to their high meat content and minimal fillers. So while the 90% rating is excellent, it is also consistent with what you would expect from a premium raw product done properly.
Before you order, this is probably the most important thing to understand about Mersey Raw's range, and it's actually pretty straightforward once you know what to look for.
Their Complete minces follow the trusted 80/10/10 principle: 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% offal, these are fully balanced, standalone diets. Just defrost and serve!
Mersey Raw recommend offering your dog a variety of their recipes plus consider adding in some oily fish, eggs etc on an ad hoc basis.
These include a seriously 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
✅ Exotic Meaty
It's worth flagging that Mersey Raw don't offer a premium complete range with added vegetables, botanicals or superfoods. If that's a priority for you, brands like Bella+Duke's Premium Complete or Naturaw's award-winning Forage range would be a better fit, though of course, you will pay more for the privilege.
Their Complementary minces, bone-free and offal-free are a different matter. These are designed to be mixed and rotated as part of a broader diet, not fed alone:
⚠️ Venison
⚠️ Duck
⚠️ Venison & Duck
⚠️ Beef
⚠️ Beef & Tripe
Unless you're an experienced raw feeder who's confident balancing proteins and nutrients across multiple meals, we'd recommend sticking to the Complete range to keep things simple.
That said, the Complementary minces are a brilliant option if you want to get creative and build your own bespoke menu, this flexibility is one of the things we genuinely like about Mersey Raw.
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.
All their food comes from Red Tractor Farms, which is a food and farm assurance scheme. The scheme sets rigorous standards for food safety, animal welfare, traceability, hygiene and environmental protection, and only food or drink that meets those standards can carry the Red Tractor logo.
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.
We're still monitoring stool quality over the longer term, but as seasoned raw feeders we can tell you that Freddie's stools on raw food are consistently smaller and firmer than his kibble days — a natural result of the lower carbohydrate content and the fact that dogs absorb so much more of what's actually in the bowl. Less filler in, less waste out. Your poo bag collection will thank you.
The packaging gets a big paws up from us. The 500g tubs are square, sturdy and an absolute dream to stack in the freezer, which is a real bonus if freezer space is at a premium in your house. If you've wrestled with vacuum-packed food before, you'll appreciate the difference immediately.
As you can see from the photo, we easily stored 10 packs in 2/3 of a freezer drawer. In fact we could probably fit 20 packs in 1 drawer (over a months food for a 12kg dog)
We particularly loved the colour-coded labels and semi-transparent sides, so no more squinting at every tub to find tonight's protein, just grab and go.
Once defrosted, the food portions easily and cleanly, and we're happy to report the lids are genuinely leakproof. No soggy fridge shelves here!
On the sustainability front, they use 100% recyclable tubs which is a positive step. But, it's worth being clear that recyclable and compostable are not the same thing. If eco-credentials are high on your priority list, Naturaw's fully compostable packaging and their clever wool liner return scheme still sets the bar on this front.
That said, for practical, everyday feeding, Mersey Raw's tubs are honestly some of the best we've used.
Here's something genuinely rare in the raw dog food world , Mersey Raw have their own shop. Very few food brands can say that, and if you're lucky enough to live within striking distance of Liverpool, it's well worth a visit.
You can see the full range in person, get hands-on with the products and have a proper chat with the team before you commit to an order.
The shop is open daily 8:30am–4:30pm at 13 Bridle Way, Bootle, Liverpool L30 4UA, a refreshingly human touch in an industry that's almost entirely online.
For everyone else, ordering online is the way to go and the great news is there’s plenty of flexibility.
Mersey Raw offer a cost-effective subscription model, but you can also place a one-off order if you just want to dip a paw in the water before committing. We love this option as many dog owners want to try before they subscribe.
Delivery is £6.95 for orders under £65, but free if you go bigger, so we recommend ordering the largest box you can comfortably store as it’s the most economical option.
Prices below are for one-off orders, but subscriptions offer 15% off the first two deliveries and 10% off for life, making regular orders even more wallet-friendly.
If you’re new, Mersey Raw make it easy with three starter bundles:
New to Raw Small – £35
New to Raw Medium – £65
New to Raw Large – £90
Each bundle includes a mix of recipes, a lick mat or slow feeder, some treats, and most importantly, a Transition Guide. This step-by-step guide shows you how to move your dog onto a raw diet safely, a super helpful feature if it’s your first time.
For more experienced feeders, the Tailored Feeding Plan is a clever option. Just complete a short online quiz about your dog’s age, sex, size, and allergies, and Mersey Raw will recommend daily grammes and portion sizes.
This helps you calculate exactly how much food your dog needs, although you can adjust based on what you know about your pup.
Delivery schedules are flexible: weekly, bi-weekly, every three weeks, or monthly. As we said before, ordering fewer, larger deliveries is usually more cost-effective.
Example: A 12kg male Cockapoo on 240g per day works out at £1.63 per day with a monthly delivery versus £1.88 for deliveries every two weeks. Of course, subscriptions would make this 10–15% cheaper.
We always recommend the 2-minute quiz to get the most accurate feed recommendations and daily cost.
Want complete control? Build Your Own Box lets you create a bespoke menu with a minimum order of £15.
Orders over £65 qualify for free delivery, so if your freezer can handle it, this is a cost-effective choice.
Ordering 1kg tubs instead of 2 x 500g packs can also save money. Keep in mind that once defrosted, mince lasts 3 days in the fridge, so plan your portions carefully.
In addition to the New to Raw Bundles, they offer a range of mixed and themed bundles:
Mixed Bundles – 10kg or 20kg, a random pick of their most popular recipes
Exotic Bundle – 10 x 500g
Chicken-Free Bundle – 9 x 500g
Raw Bundle – 9 x 500g
Bundles are a simple, stress-free way to sample multiple recipes or keep variety in your dog’s diet without thinking too much about individual portions.
When it comes to delivery, Mersey Raw really sets the standard.
They offer next-day delivery seven days a week, which is perfect if, like us, you only notice the dog’s food has run out… when it’s already gone. Even better, orders placed before 1pm are dispatched the same day, so your pup’s next meal is never far away.
We've tested a lot of dog foods over the years, and not all of them earn a Smart Bark recommendation. Mersey Raw does, and here's why.
The protein range is the real showstopper. Twenty recipes including the genuinely unique Wild Rabbit with Fur, Goat & Goose and Exotic Meaty make this one of the most varied ranges we've reviewed. For dogs with allergies or intolerances , or owners who simply want to rotate widely, that breadth is hard to beat.
Value-wise, they sit at the more affordable end of the market. They don't offer a premium superfood or vegetable-enriched range, but what they do offer, solid nutritional ratings, flexible Bundles, Subscribe & Save and one-off ordering, represents genuine bang for your buck.
Top it off with some of the most practical packaging we've come across, stackable, colour-coded and leakproof and you've got a brand that's as easy to live with as it is to love.
Beginner or seasoned raw feeder, Mersey Raw earns its place in the freezer.
While Mersey Raw certainly stands out, it’s always worth weighing up all your options.
There are plenty of other excellent dog food brands on the market, and to make your search easier, we’ve put together a full guide: Best Raw Dog Foods: Tested & Reviewed.
In this article, we take a close look at brands such as Bella + Duke, Paleo Ridge, Naturaw and Pro Dog Raw, so you can compare recipes, quality, and features to find the perfect match for your furry friend.
Here's our At-A-Glance Brand Comparison Table:
Brand | Best For | Daily Cost (12kg dog) | AADF Rating | DEFRA Approved |
Mersey Raw | Widest selection of recipes | £1.62 | 90% | ✅ |
Bella+Duke | Overall winner | £2.28 | 90–97% | ✅ |
ProDog Raw | Beginners / Value Range | £1.41 | 84–92% | ✅ |
Naturaw | Sustainability | £2.61 | 80–96% | ✅ |
Paleo Ridge | Widest Range Choice inc. Paleo Plus, Classic, Essentials | £2.44 | 84–92% | ✅ |
Is Mersey Raw a complete dog food?
It depends on which product you choose. Their Complete minces (80% meat, 10% bone, 10% offal) are fully balanced, standalone diets that need nothing added. Their Complementary minces are bone-free or offal-free and are designed to be mixed and rotated as part of a broader raw diet, not fed alone. When in doubt, stick to the Complete range and you won't go wrong.
Is Mersey Raw DEFRA approved?
Yes. Mersey Raw holds full DEFRA approval, meaning their products meet strict UK standards for safety and quality in raw pet food production. It's the same benchmark we apply to every brand we recommend at Smart Bark, so you can feed with confidence.
How long does Mersey Raw last once defrosted?
Once defrosted, Mersey Raw mince keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge. Always keep undefrosted tubs in the freezer where they'll last up to 12 months.
Can I visit the Mersey Raw shop?
You can, and we'd encourage it if you're local! Mersey Raw have their own shop at 13 Bridle Way, Bootle, Liverpool L30 4UA, open daily 8:30am–4:30pm. Very few raw food brands have a physical shop, so it's a brilliant opportunity to see the range in person and get advice from the team before you commit.
Does Mersey Raw deliver next day?
Yes, and it's one of their standout features. Mersey Raw offer next-day delivery seven days a week, with same-day dispatch on orders placed before 1pm. So even if you've left it to the last minute (we've all been there), your dog won't miss a meal.
How do I store Mersey Raw food?
Keep tubs frozen until you're ready to use them and they'll keep for up to 12 months in the freezer. The 500g tubs are square and stackable, so they're easy to organise even in a compact freezer. Once defrosted, store in the fridge and use within 3 days.
Can puppies eat Mersey Raw dog food?
All Mersey Raw recipes are suitable for all life stages, including puppies. That said, if you're switching a young pup to raw for the first time, we'd recommend following their Transition Guide and taking the switch slowly to avoid any digestive upset. When in doubt, a quick chat with your vet is always a sensible step.
How do I transition my dog onto Mersey Raw?
Mersey Raw include a Transition Guide with their New to Raw Bundles, which makes the whole process much more straightforward. Here at Smart Bark we also have a Switching to Raw article which outlines two methods available to you if you are switching from wet/dry dog food to a raw diet - Immediate or Gradual.
How much Mersey Raw should I feed my dog?
The simplest way is to use Mersey Raw's online feeding quiz, which takes into account your dog's age, weight, sex and activity level and gives you a personalised daily gram recommendation. As a general guide, most adult dogs need around 2–3% of their body weight per day, but you know your dog best, so adjust portions based on their energy levels and condition.
Can I mix Mersey Raw Complete and Complementary recipes?
Absolutely, in fact that's exactly what the Complementary range is designed for. Experienced raw feeders often use a combination of Complete and Complementary minces to build variety and keep the diet balanced across different protein sources. If you're new to raw though, we'd suggest getting comfortable with the Complete range first before experimenting with mixing.
Is raw dog food safe for my family?
Raw dog food is perfectly safe when handled sensibly, treat it just as you would raw meat in your own kitchen. Wash hands thoroughly after handling, clean bowls and utensils straight after use, and keep raw food stored separately from your own food in the freezer.
All Mersey Raw products are DEFRA approved and sourced from Red Tractor assured farms, so you're starting from a strong safety baseline. The key is good hygiene habits.
Thanks for reading. We hope our review has made your raw feeding decision just a little easier. Happy feeding from the Smart Bark team! And if you know of a raw dog food brand you think should earn a place on Smart Bark, drop us a message. We're always on the lookout for the next hidden gem, and Freddie is never short of an appetite.
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.
