Honey’s Healthcare Team – vets, vet nurses and nutritionists – offers free unlimited health and nutritional advice to anyone who contacts us.

Step one: Instant consultation

Our Healthcare Team is available from 9am to 5pm weekdays. Just call or email. No need to pre-book an appointment.

Step two: Holistic health and nutritional advice

Our primary area of expertise is diet and nutrition, but we do have a great deal of experience – especially with complementary and alternative veterinary medicine – and we are happy to offer general advice, as well.

Step three: A personalised feeding plan

We’ll create a personalised feeding plan for your dog. We can supply the food, or we can explain to make it yourself. That’s right! We’ll show you how to make your own dog food, free of charge. Why? Because we put dogs first and because we hope that you will recommend us to others.

Step four: Ongoing support

We are happy to provide ongoing tips, advice and support. There is no limit to the number of times you can consult us.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Our free advisory service – which is provided by our own vets, vet nurses and nutritionists – is available to anyone who contacts us.

There is no need to even pretend you are interested in becoming a customer.

If you have a dog with a health issue a change of diet may be able to relieve or even cure the symptoms.

We are also experts in feeding puppies and senior dogs.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

We will happily show anyone who approaches us how to make their own dog food.

We will advise on a feeding plan, where to source ingredients and how to make up each recipe.

If required, we can supply you with the same high-quality ingredients we use to make our own food – but please don’t feel under any obligation to order from us.

We are delighted to share our knowledge.

This service is provided free of charge because we put canine health and customer service first.

Read more about making your own food here: DIY advice and DIY ingredients.

‘Honey’s Natural Feeding Handbook’ (which has sold more than 100,000 copies) contains 160 pages of advice, tips and recipes.

You can download a copy of ‘Honey’s Natural Feeding Handbook’ here or if you email or telephone we will pop a printed copy in the post to you.

Written in plain-English, this comprehensive, easy-to-follow guide contains everything you need to know about natural feeding, including:

• Why naturally fed dogs lead longer, happier and healthier lives.
• How to switch your dog to a natural diet in three easy steps.
• How canine digestion works.
• Why tinned and dried food is ‘junk food’ for dogs.
• Lots of tips, recipes and advice.
• Special diets for poorly dogs.
• How to give your puppies the best start in life.

It is the perfect introduction to raw feeding.

The Dog Nutrition Podcast is an entertaining and fascinating series of programmes that will be of interest to all dog lovers.

It answers questions such as:

• What should you feed your dog?
• Which diet will give them the best chance of a long and healthy life?
• Is the growing popularity of raw feeding justified by the evidence?

Interview subjects include Dr Ian Billingshurst, Dr Conor Brady, Professor Anna Hielm-Björkman, Dr Richard Doyle, Dr Brendan Clarke, Dr Conor O’Halloran, Dr Nick Thompson – a host of dog lovers – and many others.

It was produced by BBC radio journalists Penny Boreham and Seb Masters who had complete editorial control.

You can listen to Honey’s Dog Nutrition Podcast here.

As we have not increased our prices in line with food inflation Honey’s now represents excellent value of money.

We even offer a never-knowingly-undersold type ‘price promise’.

Please telephone or email and we will create a fully costed personalised diet plan for your dog.

If it is more than you want to spend, we can also show you ways to reduce the price.

Here is an estimate of what it will cost to feed different sizes of dog:

Miniatures (such as Chihuahua). From £0.33 a day to £1.27 a day.
Small (such as a Jack Russel). From £0.78 a day to £1.76 a day.
Medium (such as a Cockapoo). From £1.31 a day to £2.48 a day.
Large (such as a Labrador). From £2.61 a day to £5.23 a day.

Honey’s Bespoke is like having your own canine chef:

• All your dog’s food will be made to order.
• Food can be prepared raw or cooked.
• Only the finest, freshest ingredients are used.
• We can supply hard-to-find ingredients – such as wild rabbit and pigeon.
• Our veterinary nutritionist can create personalised recipes.
• Food will be delivered portioned and ready to serve

It is ideal for dogs with health issues, fussy eaters and senior dogs.

We are the only fully bespoke dog food producer in the UK.

For more information please contact the Honey’s Bespoke team direct on 01672 620 560 or by email: bespoke@honeysrealdogfood.com

Imagine being forced to eat something you don’t like the taste of day after day.

Then imagine being served something delicious that you love!

Honey’s has made dinner time a thing of joy for thousands of fussy eaters.

Of course, some dogs are fussy eaters for a more obscure reason.

They may not like the temperature at which their food is served.

Or how dry it is.

Perhaps they like the fuss made of them when they don’t eat.

Whatever the reason, the Honey’s Healthcare Team can provide advice and tips.

All the ingredients we use are suitable for human consumption.

This is because everything that goes into our dog food comes straight from the farm and is 100% fresh.

We use proper cuts of meat, too (very rare for dog food) and chemical free/organic vegetables grown for us by a local farmer.

All our ingredients are raised/grown in the UK.

All the meat is free range, pasture fed, wild or certified organic.

Honey’s is the only dog food producer in the UK that publishes a detailed Ingredients Policy.

To summarise, all our ingredients are:

• fresh
• suitable for human consumption
• raised/grown on British farms
• seasonal

All our meat is free range, pasture fed, wild or certified organic.

All our vegetables are chemical free/certified organic.

We visit all our farmers and producers to make sure that they meet our exacting standards.

You can read our full Ingredients Policy here or we will happily pop a copy in the post to you.

Honey’s has been certified organic (by the Organic Farmers & Growers Association) since 2010.

We are also members of Pasture for Life and certified by other bodies such as the ISO.

Honey’s is the only dog food producer in the UK that makes farm visits. Why do we consider it so important? It goes back (if you will excuse the pun) to our roots. When we started up, all the ingredients we used came from the founder’s own organic smallholding. We knew exactly how the animals had been raised, and how the vegetables had been grown. We could provide detailed, first-hand information about each ingredient. Almost two decades later the same is true. By visiting our producers, we can be certain that they meet our extremely high standards. How high? Let’s just say that we are buying from the same farms as Waitrose, Harrods, Abel & Cole, and other similar butchers and retailers.

Honey’s is made completely by hand in small batches – usually a few hundred portions at a time.

Each batch is slightly different because we use different cuts of meat and seasonal vegetables.

All our ingredients are fresh, come from British farms and are 100% suitable for human consumption.

The cuts of meat, by the way, are the same cuts would see in the butcher.

The vegetables are grown for us locally and are chemical free/certified organic.

The meat is free range, pasture fed, wild or certified organic.

We operate from a former salmon smokehouse in Pewsey, Wiltshire (why anyone would decide to smoke salmon fifty miles from the nearest coast remains a mystery), and when we started renting the premises fifteen years ago, we never expected to stay. The space itself might best be described as quirky, with lots of little rooms and hidden corners. Still, the aroma of smoked salmon is long gone, and it is difficult to imagine being based anywhere else.

There are three main reasons why virtually all our recipes are single protein i.e. our chicken recipes only contain chicken, and our beef recipes only contain beef.

It is closer to what dogs would eat in the wild.

It offers more choice for dogs with allergies.

It makes it very easy to plan an exclusion (aka elimination) diet.

Our recipes are all complete and balanced with very few (clearly highlighted) exceptions.

So, you can be confident that if you follow a Honey’s feeding plan your dog will be receiving all the nutrition he or she needs.

We can confirm that we are compliant with and exceed the nutritional guidelines set by the European Pet Food Industry Federation (Fediaf).

So, your dog’s nutritional requirements will be satisfied and exceeded when you follow a Honey’s feeding plan.

Our most popular ratio is 33% meat (including offal), 33% raw meaty bone and 33% seasonal vegetables. Our vegetable free recipes are 100% raw meat and meaty bone. You’ll find complete details for each of our recipes in the relevant shop page.

Our food does contain offal. The percentage varies depending on the formula. You’ll find complete details for each of our recipes in the relevant shop page.

Raw offal (organ meats) is crucial for raw-fed dogs because organs are incredibly nutrient-dense and provide vitamins and minerals that muscle meat alone cannot supply in adequate amounts.

Our ingredients are so good, our food so nutritious that we don’t have to add any supplements.

There are times where we might suggest using a food-based supplement (never a synthetic one) but in general we are against supplementation because of:

1. Bioavailability concerns: Natural nutrients from whole foods often come in forms that are more readily absorbed and utilised by the body. For example, iron from liver (heme iron) is absorbed much more efficiently than synthetic iron supplements. The body recognises and processes whole food nutrients differently than isolated compounds.
2. The ‘food matrix’ effect: Nutrients in whole foods don’t exist in isolation - they come packaged with enzymes, co-factors, and other compounds that work synergistically. Vitamin A in liver comes with fat for absorption, complementary B vitamins, and other nutrients that support its function. Supplements typically provide isolated nutrients without this natural context.
3. Unknown nutritional factors: We’re still discovering beneficial compounds in foods. Whole organs contain countless phytonutrients, enzymes, and bioactive compounds we haven’t fully identified or understood yet. Relying solely on what we think we know (and can synthesize) may miss crucial elements.
4. Balance and excess risks: It’s easier to over supplement with synthetic vitamins, potentially creating toxicities or imbalances. Whole foods come with natural limits – a dog can only eat so much liver, providing built-in protection against excess.

Our Feeding Calculator offers guidelines on how much to feed a healthy, adult dog.

If you are feeding a puppy, a senior dog, a dog that needs to lose a little weight or a dog with health issues please contact us for a free, personalised feeding plan.

There is a useful article about feeding puppies here.

There is a useful article about feeding senior dogs here.

There is no hard-and-fast rule but for an adult dog over 10kg roughly 2% of their body weight in food (including edible bones) every day should be about right. In other words, a 20kg dog should be eating roughly 400g.

If you have a working dog, an underweight dog or a dog that exercises a great deal, then increase this amount to between 2% and 5% of body weight per day.

If you have an elderly or overweight dog then reduce the amount to between 1% and 2% of bodyweight per day.

Please do contact us directly for more personalised feeding advice.

It couldn’t be easier to make the switch to Honey’s.

Leave a reasonable period of time between meals (24 hours is ideal, but you could try less) and then introduce the new, raw diet.

The vast majority of dogs are delighted but a handful may take time to adjust.

There is a useful guide here or please do contact the Honey’s Healthcare Team for personalised advice.

Yes, Honey’s is the perfect food for expectant and new mothers – providing them with all the nutrition they need.

There is a useful guide here or do contact the Honey’s Healthcare Team for more advice.

Yes, Honey’s is the perfect food for puppies – providing them with all the nutrition they need.

There is a useful guide here or do contact the Honey’s Healthcare Team for more advice.

Yes, Honey’s is the perfect food for senior dogs – providing them with all the nutrition they need.

There is a useful guide here or do contact the Honey’s Healthcare Team for more advice.

We have a great deal of experience feeding dogs with a wide variety of health issues from allergies to cancer and from diabetes to digestive issues.

Please contact the Honey’s Healthcare Team and one of our vets or vet nurses will be delighted to provide you with general advice and a personalised feeding plan. This service is free.

Yes. We can provide you with a wide range of ethically sourced butcher’s offcuts and other ingredients so that you can make up your own food – at home – quickly and easily. This should save you as much as 33% or more when compared to our own prepared recipes. Basically, our labour costs. We offer made-up boxes of ingredients or, if you prefer, you can go à la carte. Either way, our prices are highly competitive.

For more information: read an article on DIY or visit our Shop.

Honey’s original working dog food formulas were created in 2008 by our first Chief Veterinary Surgeon, Dr. Tom Farrington. We offer two types of formula. Our Out of Season Working Dog Food is designed for working dogs that are resting or in low-level training. They are suitable for dogs taking between zero and six hours exercise a day. Our Active Working Dog Food is designed for highly active working dogs. It has a higher fat content and is suitable for dogs taking over six hours exercise a day. If you are feeding a number of working dogs, incidentally, we can make up a tailor-made food to suit your requirements.

In order to keep the cost of our food as low as possible we do not sell through third parties. The only way to purchase it is direct.

We would love to supply raw food to independent pet shops, veterinary practices and other outlets but we use such high quality ingredients and work on such slim margins that it just isn’t feasible.

If you are a vet, veterinary nurse, behaviourist, trainer, breeder, kennel owner or other canine professional (or if you run a canine charity or web site) please get in touch. There are lots of ways we may be able to support you including free copies of our books, free samples of food, support for your clients and support for causes you believe in.

We have a special package for breeders. Please do get in touch to see how we can support you.

To the best of our knowledge, we have the most environmentally friendly packaging of any UK-based raw dog food producer.

It is 100% recyclable (and in some cases is made using recycled materials) – making it sustainable.

It uses the least possible volume of materials – saving resources.

It takes up the least possible space – reducing storage and transport requirements.

It is less environmentally damaging that compostable packaging.

There is a detailed article about our policy here and about compostable packaging here.

In 2020, we became the first raw dog food producer in the UK to become carbon neutral. We confirmed this in a signed pledge that was sent to the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change secretariat, in Bonn, Germany. The pledge requires us to monitor and measure our greenhouse gas emissions, reduce them and compensate any remaining emissions by offsetting, including through use of Certified Emission Reductions (CERs).

If you would like to know more about the process, there is lots of information on the UN Climate Change website which you can visit here. (https://unfccc.int/)

Honey’s is, so far as we know, the first raw dog food producer in the world to have achieved ISO 14001 certification – the international standard for environmental management.

We implemented our environmental management system (EMS) in 2013 and use it to ensure that we are measuring and minimising our environmental footprint.

We also comply with ISO 26000, which dictates our whole sustainability policy and standards.

In 2019 we joined 1% for the Planet – a global movement inspiring businesses and individuals to support environmental solutions through memberships and everyday actions. As business members we have committed to donating at least 1% of our sales to environmental causes. Since 1% for the Planet was launched in 2002, its members have contributed more than £620 million in support to approved environmental not-for-profits.

We have been conscious of our environmental impact ever since we were founded in 2009 and it is part of our DNA.

We use minimal, fully recyclable packaging.

We have achieved ISO 14001 certification every year since 2013.

We became ISO 26000 compliant in 2025.

We are carbon neutral.

We are members of 1% for the Planet.

We keep dog food miles to a minimum (a third of our ingredients are sourced within 17 miles of our kitchens).

We carry out our own research and we also employ external consultants to help us.

There hasn’t been a year when we haven’t been able to improve our carbon footprint.

You can learn more about our sustainability policy here.

We visit all our farmers and producers in order to make sure that they meet the vigorous standards set out in our written Ingredients Policy.

One of our main concerns is whether the animals and birds lead as natural an existence as possible, that they are treated with kindness and respect, and that they are slaughtered locally and humanely.

You may be interested to learn that Honey’s was founded by a vegetarian and that we give 1% of sales to Compassion in World Farming.

Honey’s gives 1% of sales to Compassion in World Farming.

Additionally, we never turn any good canine (or animal) cause away and every year donate tens of thousands of pounds worth of treats, dog food and cash.

Incidentally, whenever we sell a packet of our natural treats (Beautiful Joe’s) we give a packet to a rescue centre and to date we have donated almost £1m worth to dogs in need.

If you represent a suitable cause, please do get in touch.

Honey’s was founded on a smallholding by Jonathan Self, who supplements his farm income with journalism. Initially, Jonathan made raw food for his own working dogs and dogs he was fostering using ingredients from the farm. Later he started offering it to friends and neighbours. Honey’s (which was originally called Darling’s) became a proper business in 2008/9. We are still very small – small enough for all our customers to be given Jonathan’s personal email address and contact information.

Honey’s operates on 10 clear principles:

1. We put each dog’s needs first. We provide free health and nutrition advice to anyone who requests it (there is no need to be a customer) and we will show anyone who asks how to make their own dog food.

2. We use only the finest ingredients because this provides the highest quality nutrition. We will never compromise on this.

3. We make farm animal welfare a priority. We know where every ingredient was raised/grown (and we visit all our farmers and producers).

4. Caring for the environment is a vital part of what we do. We accept that it is often about choosing the least bad option. We don’t try and fool customers into thinking we are better than we are.

5. We can support every claim we make (such as being organic) with third party certification.

6. We treat our customers as we would like to be treated ourselves. We aim to provide a genuinely personal service.

7. We keep our prices as low as we possibly can and postpone unavoidable price increases to the last minute. We make sure our food offers real value. We don’t insult customers with so-called discounts.

8. Honey’s doesn’t waste money on advertising or marketing. We rely almost entirely on customers and canine professionals making referrals.

9. We donate to every single good canine cause that approaches us.

10. Our overriding philosophy is always to be kind. As Henry James said: ‘Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.’

We try to buy ingredients from local farmers and, failing this, from as close to our kitchens as possible.

Obviously different ingredients are available at different times of the year (lamb in spring, turkey at Christmas and so forth).

This is why our food changes in appearance from batch to batch.

Indeed, no two batches are the same.

This is much better for your dog’s health and it is better for the environment, too.

After all, it would be insane to use imported meat or vegetables when we can get such wonderful, fresh ingredients from much closer to home (sometimes just a few fields away!).

For more information: Ingredients Policy.

Bones are important for three main reasons.

Firstly, they provide vital nutrients including calcium, complex (good) fats and vitamins.

Secondly, the actual chewing of the bones is what keeps a dog’s teeth and gums healthy.

Thirdly, chewing and gnawing is an excellent form of exercise and will help your dog to stay fit.

That’s why our food contains finely minced up bone and why we also encourage you to serve whole bones on the side.

You can read more about the importance of bones here.