By Nat Self
It is my job to help source the ingredients that are used to make Darling’s Real Dog Food and to oversee the kitchens.
I set the same standards that you would expect in a first class restaurant. All the ingredients must be of the highest quality and the kitchens themselves must be kept spotlessly clean at all times.
Below are the criteria I use when selecting ingredients.
The meat, bones and vegetables purchased for Darling’s organic range are certified 100% organic. This means they contain no preservatives, colouring, additives or chemicals of any kind. Meat must come from animals that have been reared without the routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones. Vegetables can’t have been exposed to harmful pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. We don’t touch anything that has been genetically modified.
Darling’s also offers a farm assured range. The UK’s independent farm assurance scheme (you may know the little red tractor logo) guarantees that food has come from British farms that meet high standards of food safety and hygiene, animal welfare and environmental protection. Not quite as good as organic – but a decent alternative.
We won’t touch factory-farmed animals. That means all our chickens, for instance, are free range. We know most of the farmers we buy our meat from – see below.
Our objective is to keep ‘dog food miles’ to a minimum. We try and source everything from local, ethical farmers.
It isn’t just that our ingredients must pass the ‘suitable for human consumption’ test… they must be the highest quality ingredients we can find. We don’t buy anything that we wouldn’t be happy to cook for our own families.
Free range chicken
Whole raw minced chicken and finely ground bones (66%). Grated carrot, turnip, broccoli and other seasonal vegetables (33%). Mineral and vitamin supplements (less than 1%).
Prime beef
Prime minced beef (22%). Minced ox heart (11%). Finely ground calf bone (33%). Grated carrot, turnip, broccoli and other seasonal vegetables (33%). Mineral and vitamin supplements (less than 1%).
Tender Lamb
Tender minced lamb breast (22%). Minced lamb heart (11%). Minced chicken complete with finely ground bone (33%). Grated carrot, turnip, broccoli and other seasonal vegetables (33%). Mineral and vitamin supplements (less than 1%).
Peanut butter biscuits
Wholewheat flour, plain flour, crunchy peanut butter, full fat milk, baking powder and water.
Cheese biscuits
Wholewheat flour, cheddar cheese, full fat milk, vegetable oil, egg and garlic powder.
Natural (no gluten) biscuits
Oatmeal, rye flour, honey, butter and full fat milk.
We offer two ‘working dog’ formulas.
Our Out of Season Working Dog Food is designed for working dogs that are resting or in low-level training. Many owners feed it to ordinary (non-working) dogs with excellent results.
Our Active Working Dog Food is designed for working dogs that are exercising heavily and need extra energy.
All working dog food is available in the three recipes mentioned above: free range chicken, prime beef and tender lamb. You can opt for organic or farm assured ingredients.
Extra ingredients for Darling’s Out of Season Working Dog Food:
- Vitamin C, which helps promote the healing of wounds, scar tissue and fractures, strengthens blood vessels, assists the dog’s body to utilize iron and folic acid and supports the thymus gland.
- Magnesium to avoid muscle cramps.
- Hemp oil. Contains valuable omega oils, serves as a source of valuable energy, keeps less desirable saturated fats mobile in the blood stream, increases oxygen uptakes to the cells, decreases recovery time from strenuous exercise, and prevents and heals worn and chaffed paws.
Extra ingredients for Darling’s Active Working Dog Food:
- All the above plus a higher fat content to provide extra energy. See below for analysis. Note we can alter fat content by request.
Free range chicken. Moisture: 71.2%; Protein: 14%; Total Fat: 10.9%; Ash: 1.9%; Crude Fibre: 0.5%
Prime beef. Moisture: 72.2%; Protein: 16.2%; Total Fat: 7.8%; Ash: 2.6%; Crude Fibre: 0.6%
Tender Lamb. Moisture: 70.4%; Protein: 14.6%; Total Fat: 11.7%; Ash: 1.3%; Crude Fibre: 0.6%
Active Working Dog Food:
Free range chicken. Moisture: TBA%; Protein: TBA%; Total Fat: TBA%; Ash: TBA%; Crude Fibre: TBA%
Prime beef. Moisture: TBA%; Protein: TBA%; Total Fat: TBA%; Ash: TBA%; Crude Fibre: TBA%
Tender Lamb. Moisture: TBA%; Protein: TBA%; Total Fat: TBA%; Ash: TBA%; Crude Fibre: TBA%
Biscuits and treats:
Peanut butter biscuits. Moisture: 20.8%; Protein: 16.1%; Total Fat: 17.6%; Ash: 1.9%; Crude Fibre: 1.5%
Cheese biscuits. Moisture: 14.4%; Protein: 12.2%; Total Fat: 21.1%; Ash: 1.5%; Crude Fibre: 2%
Natural (no gluten) biscuits. Moisture: 6.8%; Protein: 8.39%; Total Fat: 16.1%; Ash: 1.8%; Crude Fibre: 0%
Dried liver treats. Moisture: 10%; Protein: 58.2%; Total Fat: 7.6%; Ash: 4.5%; Crude Fibre: 0%
If you have any questions then try the Questions (FAQ) area of our site. Also the Why Real Food? section has lots of relevant information. If you want to email us a question please click here. If you want to call the number is: 0844 656 1566.
Full details of our range (food, bones, biscuits and treats) designed to meet all your dog’s dietary needs...
Don’t say it with flowers, say it with Darling’s Real Dog Food. Our gift hampers are also the perfect way to sample the complete range...
Worried about your dog’s health? Our vets and nutritionists are happy to help…
Pregnant mums, new mums and puppies (once they are old enough) all love Darling’s. Please contact us to discuss your needs. Telephone 0844 656 1566 or email