Your dog is a beloved member of your family and you’re always looking for ways to make your pup’s life better.
One of the ways you can do this is by feeding your dog a high-quality diet. But with all the choices out there, it can be hard to determine which is the best.
Let’s face it, canned and dry dog food options never look all that appetizing when you plop them into your dog’s bowl, but cooking daily meals for your dog is a chore that many of us don’t have the time for. And putting together meals that are nutritionally balanced for dogs can be complicated.
That’s where meal delivery services come into play. These services provide delicious, veterinarian-approved meals for your dog that you can simply thaw out in the refrigerator and feed your dog each day.
Content
- Why Fresh Dog Food for Dogs?
- Butternut Box vs Different Dog Comparison Table
- Butternut Box Review
- Different Dog Review
- Which is the Best UK Fresh Dog Food?
Why Fresh Dog Food for Dogs?
A balanced diet plays an important role in your dog’s health and well-being.
Fresh dog food contains gently cooked human-grade ingredients like whole meats, vegetables, fruit and healthy sources of carbohydrates.
These types of ingredients can help with skin issues, digestive problems, allergies, food intolerances and even problems like obesity and diabetes.
That’s because they are easier for your dog to digest and don’t contain highly processed carbohydrates, grain fillers, thickeners and preservatives, unlike traditional dog foods.
Not only are fresh dog foods healthier for your dog, but they are also just more appetizing, especially for fussy eaters with sensitive tummies.
Most fresh dog food meals are high in protein, low in unhealthy fats and grain-free, making them ideal for dogs who need to lose a few pounds.
Plus, most fresh dog foods can be customized for dogs with special dietary restrictions.
Best of all, many companies now offer pre-prepared fresh dog food meals delivered straight to your door, including Butternut Box and Different Dog.
What Is Butternut Box?
Butternut Box has been providing freshly prepared dog food for pups around the UK for several years.
They offer a subscription service for dogs of different sizes, breeds, weights and dietary restrictions.
The way that their program works is that you enter in your dog’s information and they calculate how much food you’ll need before receiving your first order.
What Is Different Dog?
Different Dog is a more recent addition to the fresh dog food arena and also offers subscription-based plans for dogs, along with non-subscription meal packages as well.
You can choose the perfect plan for your dog based on your pup’s weight, age, activity level, health conditions and allergies.
Butternut Box vs Different Dog Comparison Table
Ingredient Quality | Human-grade | Human-grade |
Free From | Preservatives Fillers Meal meals Thickeners |
Preservatives Fillers/thickeners Meat meals Animal derivatives Legumes Grains Colourings |
Meal Options | 6 Recipes: Beef It Up Gobble Gobble Turkey Wham Bam Lamb Swish Fish Dish Pork This Way Chow Down Chicken |
11 Recipes: Pawfect Picnic Shepherds Pie Lamb Hotpot Chicken Casserole Turkey Fricassee Braised Beef Hearty Beef & Berries Stay Supple Fish Supper Keep-Me-Trim Turkey Comforting Chicken Low Purine & Phosphorous |
Meals Formulated By | Veterinarians and Nutritionists | Veterinarians and Nutritionists |
Shipping Costs | Free within the mainland UK | Free within the mainland UK |
Personalized Based on Dog’s | Weight Gender Breed Health Food Preferences Fussiness Level Physique Food Allergies/intolerances Spay/neuter status Activity level Treats Eaten Each Day |
Weight Age Physique Health Food Allergies/intolerances Spay/neuter status Activity level |
Price Estimate | £1 to £6 – upper limit is a partial meal plan for large dogs. | £1 to £9 – upper limit is 100% meal plan for large dogs. |
Other Products Offered | 2 Treat Options | 3 Treat Options Probiotic paste Bone broth Doggy Ice Cream T-shirts |
Packaging | Plastic packets | Cardboard resealable pots |
Reviews | 4.9 out of 5 stars from 7,379 reviews. | 4.8 out of 5 stars from 877 reviews. |
Special Offers | 50% off first 2 boxes: Butternut Box | 35% off your first 2 boxes with code MASPASCC35 : Different Dog |
Any further considerations?
Butternut Box offers a two-week trial box for your initial order to ensure your dog likes it.
Different Dog products can be ordered on a subscription basis or as individual orders online. You can even purchase meals in-person at local food retailers.
Butternut Box is only available by subscription.
50% off first two boxes: Butternut Box
Butternut Box Review
In 2015, friends David Nolan and Kevin Glynn started Butternut Box, around five years after David started making home-cooked meals for Rudie, his beloved Staffie.
Rudie suffered from several health issues and had an unfortunate habit of farting up a storm.
But when David started cooking for her, those issues cleared right up, and he and Kevin wanted to share their experience with other pet parents.
They offer several varieties of nutritionally balanced home-cooked meals for dogs and a line of homemade dog treats.
What’s Great About Butternut Box Meals?
Butternut Box is proud to offer homecooked meals for dogs using healthy ingredients. Their meals are great for dogs because of their:
Human-Grade Ingredients
All of Butternut Box’s meals contain gently cooked human-grade ingredients like whole meats, vegetables, lentils and flaxseed.
These ingredients are fit for human consumption and are even taste-tested by humans.
Nutritionally Balanced Meals for Dogs
The meals created by Butternut Box are specially balanced for your dog’s nutritional needs by animal nutritionists, veterinary nutritionists and an in-house vet.
They also work with senior consultants for the European Pet Food Industry (FEDIAF).
Each meal contains a proprietary blend of vitamins and minerals to ensure that your dog receives consistent nutrition with every bowl.
All meals contain around 60 percent overall protein, which converts to between 11 and 14 percent protein on a dry matter basis.
Grain-Free and Hypoallergenic Meals
All of Butternut Box’s meals are grain-free. Recipes contain healthy, fiber-rich carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, lentils and vegetables.
They are free from maize, wheat, barley, oats, soya and maize and wheat gluten, all of which can cause allergic reactions and stomach upset.
Each recipe contains only one type of protein and no cross-contamination between ingredients occurs during production to prevent allergies in dogs who are sensitive to certain meats.
Ingredients That are Free from Preservatives and Fillers
Butternut Box’s meals are free of preservatives because they are frozen after cooking.
There are no low-quality ingredients like rendered meats, meat meals, bone meals or yucky thickeners that could upset your dog’s tummy.
Flexible Subscription
When ordering Butternut Box meals, you can choose to feed your dog a 100 percent Butternut diet or a 50 percent one if you only want to supplement your dog’s diet.
50% off first two boxes: Butternut Box
What Meal Options Does Butternut Box Have?
Butternut Box has six meal options. Here’s a look at their ingredients:
- Beef It Up recipe: minced beef, ox heart, ox liver, carrots, sweet potatoes, green lentils, red split lentils, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, brewer’s yeast, minerals, ground flaxseed and dried rosemary. Protein content: 12%.
- Chow Down Chicken recipe: minced chicken, chicken liver, carrots, sweet potatoes, green lentils, red split lentils, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, brewer’s yeast, minerals, ground flaxseed and dried sage. Protein content: 13%.
- Gobble Gobble Turkey recipe: turkey breast, turkey liver, kale, carrots, lentils, blueberries, coconut oil, pumpkin, chia seeds, cod liver oil and vitamin supplements. Protein content: 13%.
- Wham Bam Lamb recipe: minced lamb, lamb heart, lamb liver), carrots, sweet potatoes, red split lentils, green lentils, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, brewer’s yeast, minerals, ground flaxseed, turmeric powder, dried rosemary and dried thyme. Protein content: 11%.
- Swish Fish Dish recipe: sustainably sourced white fish, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, red split lentils, potatoes, kale, milled chickpeas, sunflower oil, brewer’s yeast and minerals. Protein content: 11%.
- Pork This Way recipe: minced pork, pork heart, pork liver, carrots, butternut squash, red split lentils, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, brewer’s yeast, minerals, ground flaxseed and dried sage. Protein content: 12%.
See the full menu details to decide which one your dog would enjoy: Butternut Box Recipes.
50% off first two boxes: Butternut Box
How Do Butternut Box Meals Arrive?
The meals from Butternut Box arrive packed in a cardboard box and you get an initial order of two weeks’ worth of food.
Afterwards, meals are shipped to you every two, three, four or six weeks, depending on the size of your dog.
Larger dogs will get more frequent deliveries than smaller ones.
To keep the meal packs fresh and cold, they are packed with dry ice Woolcool insulation that is recyclable and biodegradable.
The meals come in soft vacuum-packed plastic packets. Each packet is airtight to keep the food fresh without the use of preservatives.
To serve the meals, you simply defrost them overnight in the fridge and serve them to your dog. You can also heat them in a bowl of hot water until they are warm to the touch.
Unopened food packets stay good in the fridge for one week. Once opened, you can store them for two days in the fridge. Remember to place the opened food in a covered container within the fridge to keep it fresh.
You can safely store the unopened food packs in the freezer for up to 12 months.
Meals are shipped for free only within the UK mainland.
Butternut Box Reviews & Testimonials
Butternut Box got an average of 4.9 out of 5 stars from 7,379 reviews across two independent platforms, Trustpilot and Google.
Most pet parents noted the fantastic customer service of Butternut Box, the environmentally friendly packaging and the high quality of the food.
Many said that their dogs loved chowing down on the food and that their overall health and coat has improved while on the Butternut Box diet.
Some dissatisfied customers said that they had trouble using the website, contacting customer service or cancelling subscription orders. Others complained of missing items in their orders or issues with orders arriving defrosted.
Of the positive reviews, pet parents noted that even the fussiest of pups enjoyed the freshly made food and that any tummy issues were quickly alleviated with the diet.
Samantha Hooper says:
Kenzil Kenzo says:
How Much Do Butternut Box Meals Cost?
Butternut Box provides a customized quote for your dog based on several factors like weight, breed, health issues, allergies and activity level. For this reason, it’s hard to give an exact price range.
We’ve done some research and put together the following prices as a general guide for a 100 percent Butternut Box diet, with the exception of large dogs who are only offered a partial meal plan.
Here, we’ve completed our own Butternut Box questionnaire for sample dogs of different sizes.
Butternut Box Price Estimates
Dog Size |
Price Estimates |
Our Dog’s Details |
Our Dog’s Quote |
Small Dog | £1 to £2 per day | 4.5 kg Shih Tzu Active No Health Issues |
£1.42 per day |
Medium Dog | £2 to £3.50 | 18 kg English Bulldog Active No Health Issues |
£2.65 per day |
Large Dog | £4 to £6 | 69 kg Mastiff Active No Health Issues |
£5.20 per day (for only a partial meal plan due to packaging size) |
Butternut Box Offer
Get a Personalized Quote and 50% Off Your First 2 Boxes Here: Butternut Box Order
Because so many factors could affect your quote, including how many treats you feed your dog each day and if your dog is neutered/spayed, it’s best to go through the questionnaire yourself to get an idea of what your dog’s meals might cost.
You can also keep costs down by selecting a partial meal plan instead of a full one.
Other Butternut Box Products
In addition to their freshly cooked meals, Butternut Box offers their best-selling fresh air-dried treats for your dog.
You can choose from two flavors: fish and lamb.
Fish treats are made with whitefish, potatoes and other ingredients. The lamb treats are made with lamb hearts, sweet potatoes and other ingredients.
Is Butternut Box Good for Dogs?
Butternut Box foods are made with high-quality human-grade ingredients that are gently cooked to make them easier for your dog to digest. This makes them a great choice for your dog’s overall health.
Meals are customizable by many factors and delivered right to your door.
Serving them is as easy as putting the defrosted food in a dish, making them an excellent choice for busy pet parents.
Get 35% off your first two boxes with code MASPASCC35 – Different Dog
Different Dog – Fresh Dog Food Review
In 2016, Charles and Alexandra Thurston started Different Dog after being inspired by their puppy Crumble.
Prior to this, Charles worked as Head of Food for a large pet retailer and when he visited the factories where it was made, he was quite unhappy with what he saw.
So, he and Alex decided to create healthy and freshly cooked meals for dogs.
They offer hand-cooked nutritionally balanced meals for dogs and a line of dog treats, bone broth, probiotics and a range of recipes designed with certain health conditions in mind called the Health + range.
Different Dog Special Discount
Get 35% off your first two boxes with code MASPASCC35 – Different Dog
Get 35% off your first two boxes with code MASPASCC35 – Different Dog
What’s Great About Different Dog Meals?
Different Dog offers many homecooked meals for dogs using healthy ingredients. Their meals are great for dogs because of their:
Human-Grade Ingredients
All Different Dog meals contain gently cooked human-grade ingredients like whole meats, seasonal fruits and vegetables, herbs, high-quality oils, superfoods, vitamins and minerals.
Nutritionally Balanced Meals for Dogs
The meals created by Different Dog are specially balanced for your dog’s nutritional needs by a nutritionist and an in-house vet.
All meals meet the guidelines of the European Pet Food Industry (FEDIAF).
Each meal contains a proprietary blend of vitamins and minerals to ensure that your dog receives consistent nutrition with every bowl.
All recipes except for the Comforting Chicken contain around 60 percent U.K. meats, which converts to between 12 and 19 percent protein content.
Different Dog Meals Are Grain-Free and Hypoallergenic
Different Dog’s meals are grain-free and legume free.
Recipes contain healthy, fiber-rich carbohydrates like sweet potatoes and vegetables.
Each recipe contains only one type of protein to prevent allergic reactions in dogs who are sensitive to certain meats.
Meals are Free from Preservatives and Fillers
Different Dog’s meals are free of preservatives because they are frozen after cooking.
There are no low-quality ingredients like meat meals, fillers and animal derivatives.
Flexible Subscription and Non-Subscription Options
When ordering Different Dog meals, you can choose to feed your dog a 100 percent Different Dog diet, a 50 percent one, or a 25 percent one, if you only want to supplement your dog’s existing diet. Or just get a non-subscription order at your convenience.
Get 35% off your first two boxes with code MASPASCC35 – Different Dog
What Meal Options Does Different Dog Have?
Different Dog has 11 meal options. Note that all recipes also include added vitamins and minerals. Here’s a look at their basic ingredients.
6 Core Recipes:
- Braised Beef: Beef (Mince 30%, Heart 25%, Liver 5%), Spinach (14%), Carrot, Squash, Apple, Mushroom, Salmon Oil, Parsley, Brewers Yeast, Monocalcium Phosphate, Chia Seeds, Kelp, Minerals, Turmeric. Protein content: 12.2%
- Turkey Fricassee: Turkey (Mince 60%), Cabbage (14%), Carrot, Sweet Potato 8%, Banana 5%, Mushroom, Salmon Oil, Coriander 0.7%, Monocalcium Phosphate, Chia Seeds, Kelp, Minerals, Turmeric. Protein content: 15.8%
- Chicken Casserole: Chicken (Mince 55%, Liver 5%), Red Cabbage (14%), Carrot, Sweet Potato, Apple, Mushroom, Salmon Oil, Parsley, Brewers Yeast, Monocalcium Phosphate, Chia Seeds, Kelp, Minerals, Turmeric. Protein content: 15.2%
- Shepherd’s Pie: Lamb 60% (Mince, Heart, Liver), Swede (15%), Red Cabbage, Cauliflower, Pear, Mushroom, Salmon Oil, Mint, Monocalcium Phosphate, Chia Seeds, Kelp, Minerals and Turmeric. Protein content: 14.9%
- Pawfect Picnic: Chicken 60% (Mince 55%, Liver 5%), Broccoli (14%), Sweet Potato, Red Pepper, Apple, Mushroom, Salmon Oil, Parsley, Monocalcium Phosphate, Chia Seeds, Kelp, Minerals and Turmeric. Protein content- 12.6%
- Lamb Hotpot: Lamb (Mince 30%, Heart 25%, LIver 5%), Red Cabbage (14%), Carrot, Parsnip, Apple 5%, Mushroom, Salmon Oil, Sage, Brewers Yeast, Monocalcium Phosphate, Chia Seeds, Kelp, Minerals, Turmeric. Protein content:12.4%
5 Health + Recipes:
- Keep-Me-Trim Turkey: Turkey (Lean Mince 60%), Red Cabbage (13%), Carrot, Squash, Apple, Mushroom, Salmon Oil, Parsley, Brewers Yeast, Monocalcium Phosphate, Chia Seeds, Kelp, Minerals, Turmeric. Protein content: 18.2%
- Stay Supple Fish Supper: White Fish (60%), Broccoli (13%), Sweet Potato, Squash, Apple, Mushroom, Flaxseed Oil, Glucosamine (0.6%), Chondroitin (0.6%), Parsley, Monocalcium Phosphate, Brewers Yeast, Chia Seeds, Kelp, Minerals, Turmeric. Protein content: 13.5%
- Hearty Beef and Berries: Beef (Mince 30%, Heart 25%, LIver 5%), Squash (14%), Red Cabbage, Blackberry 5%, Mushroom, Salmon Oil, Coriander, Monocalcium Phosphate, Chia Seeds, Kelp, Minerals, Turmeric. Protein content: 13.9%
- Comforting Chicken: Chicken (Lean Mince 45%), Carrot (13%), Beef Heart, Cabbage, Squash, Apple, Powdered Egg, Salmon Oil, Coconut Oil, Slippery Elm Powder, Monocalcium Phosphate, Powdered Alfalfa, Powdered Ginger, Brewers Yeast, Chia Seeds, Kelp, Minerals, Turmeric. Protein content: 14.5%
- Low Purine & Phosphorous: Turkey Mince (40%), White fish (20%), Green Cabbage, Broccoli, Butternut squash, Carrots, Banana, Dandelion 1.5%, Flax oil, Nettle 1.0%, Coconut oil, Powdered Ginger, Monocalcium Phosphate, Chia seeds, Kelp, Green tea, Minerals. Protein content: 12.8%
See the full menu details to decide which one your dog would enjoy. You can also use our discount code to get 10% off your first box if you want to try them out.
Different Dog Special Offer
Get 35% off your first two boxes with code MASPASCC35 – Different Dog
Get 35% off your first two boxes with code MASPASCC35 – Different Dog
How Do Different Dog Meals Arrive?
The meals from Different Dog arrive packed in a cardboard box. They are shipped to you every two, four, six or eight weeks, depending on the frequency you choose.
To keep the meal packs fresh and cold, they are packed with dry ice wool insulation from Puffin Packaging that is recyclable and biodegradable.
The meals come in resealable (and biodegradable) cardboard pots with your dog’s name on them. Each pot is airtight to keep the food fresh without the use of preservatives.
To serve the meals, you simply defrost them overnight in the fridge and serve them to your dog. Or place the pot in a pan of hot water to defrost it before serving.
Unopened pots stay good in the fridge for five days. Once you open the package, you can store them for up to 5 days in the fridge.
You can safely store the unopened pots in the freezer for up to 12 months.
Meals are shipped for free only within the UK mainland and Isle of Wight on their subscription program.
Get 35% off your first two boxes with code MASPASCC35 – Different Dog
Different Dog Reviews & Testimonials
Different Dog got an average of 4.8 out of 5 stars from 877 reviews over two platforms, Trustpilot and Google. .
Most pet parents commented on the high quality of the food, the ease of delivery, the extensive variety of foods and the helpfulness of customer service.
Many positive reviewers noted that their dogs enjoyed eating the food and that they have noticed improvements in their skin, coat and overall health while on the Different Dog diet.
A handful of dissatisfied customers said that they had trouble cancelling their subscription through the website, customer service seemed unhelpful when they had issues and that some of their dogs simply didn’t like the food.
Of the positive reviews, most pet parents commented their picky pups all enjoyed the freshly made food. Knowing exactly what is in the food was helpful for those with dogs who have special dietary restrictions.
Lisa Moat says:
Shella Maskell says:
Different Dog Special Offer
Get 35% off your first two boxes with code MASPASCC35 – Different Dog
How Much Do Different Dog Meals Cost?
Different Dog provides a customized quote for your dog based on several factors like weight, health issues, allergies and activity level. For this reason, it’s hard to give an exact price range.
We’ve done some research and put together the following prices as a general guide (for a 100 percent Different Dog diet).
Here, we’ve completed our own Different Dog questionnaire for sample dogs of different sizes.
Different Dog Price Estimates
Dog Size |
Price Estimates |
Our Dog’s Details |
Our Dog’s Quote |
Small Dog | £1 to £2 per day | 4.5 kg Healthy Activity Level No Health Issues |
£1.50 per day |
Medium Dog | £2.50 to £3.50 | 18 kg Healthy Activity Level No Health Issues |
£3 per day |
Large Dog | £7 to £9 | 69 kg Healthy Activity Level No Health Issues |
£8 per day |
Special Offer: 35% off your first two boxes with code MASPASCC35 – Different Dog
Because so many factors could affect your quote, including how many treats you feed your dog each day or if your dog is neutered/spayed, it’s best to go through the questionnaire yourself to get an idea of what your dog’s meals might cost.
You can also keep costs down by selecting a partial meal plan instead of a full one.
Get 35% off your first two boxes with code MASPASCC35 – Different Dog
Other Different Dog Products
In addition to their freshly cooked meals, Different Dog offers their best-selling delicious dried treats for your dog too.
- Chicken Chews contain only dried chicken.
- Fishy Favourites contain dried sprats.
- Liver with Love contain dried liver and oregano.
- Bone Broth made from UK grass-fed lamb.
You’ll also find an anti-inflammatory Golden Paste to help with conditions like arthritis, T-shirts, probiotic paste, bone broth and doggy ice cream. They sell gift vouchers for friends too.
Is Different Dog Good for Dogs
Different Dog foods are made with high-quality human-grade ingredients that are gently cooked to keep the nutrient content high. They’re a great choice for a dog’s health and wellness.
Meal selections are extensive, and they can be delivered right to your door or picked up at your local pet food retailer.
Because foods can be ordered on a subscription basis or in single batches, Different Dog offers more flexibility than other delivery services and more treat options too.
Different Dog Special Offer
Get 35% off your first two boxes with code MASPASCC35 – Different Dog
Which is the Best UK Fresh Dog Food, Butternut Box or Different Dog?
Both Butternut Box and Different Dog are excellent fresh meal delivery services with some of the highest customer ratings on the market.
They offer wholesome, human grade ingredients to create healthy meals for dogs free from preservatives. Both are a healthful option for your dog but there can be some small differences that sway the decision for you.
If you have a large dog and you want 100 percent fresh meals then Different Dog would be the better choice. Butternut Box only offer partial meals for larger dogs.
Different Dog also have a greater variety of meals and snacks with 11 recipes and 3 snack options. Butternut Box still have a lot of variety with 6 meal recipes and 2 snack options.
Butternut Box also ask more questions on sign up to customise the food to your dog, including gender and fussiness level.
In summary, Butternut Box offers a convenient subscription delivery service that provides freshly cooked meals for your dog.
You can choose between a 50 percent and 100 percent meal plan for your dog, and even add tasty treats to your orders.
Complete daily meals are available for small- to medium-sized dogs but because of box size restrictions, very large dogs may need to be on a 50 percent meal plan, depending on how many calories they require per day.
Different Dog also offers freshly cooked meals for your dog that are delivered right to you.
You can choose between a 25, 50 and 100 percent subscription meal plan for them.
Different Dog meals and treats can also be purchased in packages not on a subscription basis or in-person at local retailers. This makes it best for those who may not want to sign up for a subscription to try the products.
Both companies provide meals made with healthy ingredients that are free from additives, preservatives and fillers.
Plus, the food can easily be defrosted and served to your dog with no preparation. Their meals are all developed by veterinarians and nutritionists to be complete and balanced for dogs of all ages.
Each company has advantages for your dog. Regardless of which one you choose your pup will benefit from eating freshly prepared foods made with human-grade ingredients.
Special Offers
50% Off Butternut Box Meals
Get 50% off your first two boxes here: Butternut Box
50% Off First Different Dog Meal
Get 35% off your first two boxes with code MASPASCC35 – Different Dog