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As more and more of us are scrutinising our dog's food, prioritising their health and wellbeing, we're looking for the best dog food we can afford.
Unfortunately choosing the best dog food is not as straight forward as most of us would like.
Trying to wrap your head around all the different types of food available, understanding the nutritional value and calculating the daily price can be time consuming.
Let's cut to the chase ! Many of us love the scoop and serve convenience of dry food, but ideally we're looking for the high nutritional value associated with the more expensive raw or fresh dog diets.
Cold pressed dog food could well be the answer we're looking for. Relatively new on the scene, cold pressed foods are rapidly growing in popularity.
Using innovative manufacturing methods, this type of dry food is extremely nutritious and healthy yet cheaper than a lot of fresh and raw alternatives.
We take a closer look at three companies pioneering cold pressed dog food - Wilsons, Walker & Drake and Forthglade.
We offer you 'our take' on the brand, their cold pressed recipes, nutritional information along with guidance on costs.
You, my dog loving friend, can then decide if there's a cold pressed dog food here for you - and of course your dog !
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is Cold Pressed Dog Food ?
Carefully pressed at lower temperatures than the more traditional dry foods, it's this innovative technique that ensures that cold pressed dog food retains maximum nutrients and goodness.
An additional benefit of this gentler processing technique is it can be easier for some dogs to digest, especially those with sensitive stomachs. Doubtless, this can lead to better nutrient absorption and less waste.
What's more, cold pressed food often boasts higher quality ingredients like whole meats, fruits, and vegetables which can contribute to a shinier coat, healthier skin and more energy for your dog.
Better still, with no grains or gluten, it's a hypoallergenic option so ideal for dogs suffering with allergies, plus all three dog foods we feature in this article are grain free, hypoallergenic and there's not a whiff of junk or cheap fillers.
Ultimately cold pressed dog food is higher quality and more nutritious than many other dry dog foods on the UK market so understandably this is reflected in the price.
However, it's worth bearing in mind that cold pressed dog foods are still a considerably cheaper option than many fresh and raw , delivered alternatives.
Our Picks of The Best Cold Pressed Dog Foods
1. Best Cold Pressed Overall
Wilsons
Reasons to Buy :
+ Cheapest of three featured
+ Trial boxes available
+ Can combine with raw food
+ Extensive protein range
+ Grain free
+ Made in UK
Reasons to Avoid :
- Bags aren't resealable
Behind the Brand:
Company producing pet food since 1861
Range:
Premium Cold Pressed, Working Dog, Raw Food, Treats, Salmon Oil
Cold Pressed Variety :
Adult, Working Dog & Puppy
Clarity of Label:
OK - Some ingredients without %
Price: £1.38 a day
Based on a 15kg dog + moderate activity + a 10kg bag
Buying Options:
First to feature in our review is Wilsons, one of the oldest pet food companies in the UK. Founded over 160 years ago in Scotland, Wilsons have a place in our review because we think they offer a slightly different option to solely feeding cold pressed.
Wilsons are the only company featured to offer both a premium complete cold pressed dry and raw food which you can feed in combination.
Before you ask, yes you can feed a mixture of both Wilsons cold pressed and Wilsons raw as they break down in your dog's stomach at the same rate, reducing the risk of your dog's stomach knotting.
As raw feeders ourselves, we were very interested to trial a combination of both the cold-pressed and the raw ranges together. Doubtless it would reduce the overall daily cost.
The cold-pressed range included the widest selection of proteins out of the three brands featured, including -
🐟 Clear Water Salmon (25% dried)
🐓 Succulent Chicken (30% dried)
🐑 Grass Fed Lamb ( 25% dried)
🦃 🦆 Farmhouse Turkey (20% dried) & Duck (13% dried)
🦌 🐠 Highland Venison (16% dried) & Trout (14% dried)
🎣 Wild White fish (28% dried)
🏴 Hunting Haggis ( Lamb 21%, liver 7%)
All the recipes are made in their Scottish factories using high quality ingredients to help your dog's skin, coat and immune system. True to their Scottish roots, they offer a haggis flavour - which is incredibly popular 🏴
If you would like to try Wilsons before committing to a large order, they offer a popular Sample Box containing 7 x 100g pouches so your dog can taste test all the recipes.
Their cold pressed range achieves an average rating of 75% on the nutritional rating website AADF with their raw range achieving between 82% and 89% - so both ranges are at the top end of the nutritional scale.
Wilson's also offer a puppy recipe, working dog recipes plus vegan and an innovative insect-based range for those dog-lovers looking for traditional protein alternatives.
We thought we'd mention that Wilson's was the cheapest daily price of the three dog foods we feature. However, it's worth bearing in mind that they recommend the least amount of food per day ( 219g compared to Forthglade 235g and Walker & Drake 250g)
They are also offering a 10% saving if you Subscribe and Save plus free delivery if you spend over £30.
2. Best Cold Pressed for Small Breeds
Walker & Drake
Reasons to Buy :
+ Grain & gluten free
+ Made in UK
+ Award winning small breed food
+ Highest rated on All About Dog Food
+ Sample pack available
Reasons to Avoid :
- We couldn't find any flaws
Behind the Brand: Multi-award winning dog food business
Range: Cold Pressed, Wet Food, Treats, Salmon Oil
Cold Pressed Variety : Adult, Small Breed, Small Bite, Puppy & Working Dog
Clarity of Label: OK - Some ingredients without % (but % available online)
Price: £1.45 a day
Based on 15kg dog + moderate activity + a 10kg bag
(Larger orders volumes will lower the costs )
Buying Options:
For 20% OFF - enter WDSmartBark20
at checkout
First to feature in our review is multi-award winning Walker & Drake.
They caught our eye as their Dual Protein Turkey and Duck cold pressed food has recently been awarded the UK's highest rated cold pressed dog food on the independent advice site AADF (All About Dog Food) scoring a very impressive 84%.
We've selected Walker & Drake for top spot in our review not just for their exceptionally high quality dog food but their commitment to customers and their superb offer for smaller breeds.
So let's take a closer look at their cold pressed dog food offer.
Completely balanced and designed to provide your dog with all the protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals they require, their recipes are crafted with high-quality meat content and a blend of vegetables and botanicals.
All their recipes have the added aim to ease digestion and provide focussed joint care :-
🐓 Chicken (42% dried)
🐟 Ocean Fish (35% dried)
🦆 Duck (39% dried)
🦃🦆 Dual Protein Turkey & Duck (28% Turkey dried, 22% Duck dried)
The overall percentage of protein is crucial when choosing a dog food. It's worth pointing out that Walker & Drake use dried proteins in the cold pressed process.
This is important as there is no additional moisture loss associated with using fresh proteins - which can ultimately lower the resulting protein percentage.
We love that Walker & Drake really listen and act on their customer's feedback. They've recently reduced the diameter of their standard pellets to 7mm for the main cold pressed range to make their food even more palatable.
Whilst their food is suitable for all life stages, they do offer a specific puppy blend which includes a slightly higher protein content to support growth.
For us the headline feature of their range has to be their award winning Small Breed and Small Bite food. As the name suggests, both are aimed at smaller breeds.
Dog lovers with little dogs often get a poorer deal when buying dog food, so we love that Walker & Drake have specifically designed smaller pellets which are perfect for smaller mouths.
Small Bite - their original cold pressed food which is now available in even smaller kibble size (5mm diameter as opposed to the new standard 7mm) to suit smaller breeds with smaller mouths.
Small Breed - an energy boosting recipe made with turkey and rice, a great source of carbohydrate, vitamin D, fibre & iron.
All their ranges are available in 2kg, 10kg and a NEW 6kg bag.
If you would like to try the food first, why not take advantage of one of their great value sample packs. For just £2.99 (with free delivery) you can select from -
🐾 All life stages - Duck, Fish & Chicken
🐾 Small Breed - Turkey & Rice
🐾 Puppy - Duck & Chicken
🐾 Small Bite - Duck, Fish & Chicken
Walker & Drake also offer a 10% Subscribe and Save option on-line and we simply love this stress free regular delivery option plus they offer free delivery on orders over £20.
Or if you're an Amazon Prime customer, take advantage of their next day delivery and order on Amazon.
Our Verdict - We recommend Walker & Drake Cold Pressed dog food if you're looking for a high quality, award winning food at a great price. Due to their smaller pellet options we rate it particularly highly for dog lovers with small breeds |
For 20% OFF - enter WDSmartBark20
at checkout
Take a closer look ...... |
Smaller breeds with thinner fur can feel the chill more easily. Plus, dogs with shorter legs like Dachshunds & Corgis, may need extra warmth as their bellies are closer to the ground. If you're looking for a winter cost - checkout our popular article - Best Dog Coats UK |
3. Best Cold Pressed & Wet Range
Forthglade
Reasons to Buy :
+ Grain & gluten free
+ Widest range of sizes 2kg - 20kg
+ Award winning
+ Widest range of wet food toppers
Reasons to Avoid :
- Not the highest scoring on AADF
- No sample pack available
Behind the Brand: 50 years worth of expertise in Pet Nutrition
Range: Cold Pressed Dry, NEW Lightly Baked Dry , wet food, treats & dental sticks
Variety:
Turkey, Duck, Chicken & Salmon
Clarity of Label:
Excellent - full list of ingredient %
Price: £1.62 a day
Based on a 15kg dog + moderate activity + 10kg bag
(larger orders volumes will lower the cost)
Buying Options:
First time customers use discount code
SMARTBARK40 for a massive 40% OFF
OR
Existing customers use discount code SMARTBARK15
for 15% OFF
Last oof out top picks is Forthglade. With over 50 years of expertise in pet nutrition and with an ever-expanding range of dry food, wet food, treats, dental sticks they are a well known brand.
Their cold pressed dry food was recently received a Highly Commended Award by Your Dog Magazine. Why is that important ? - because it was voted for by dog lovers !
Plus, the Forthglade cold pressed range scores a massive 4.7/5 on Trustpilot with lots of 5⭐️ reviews from happy dog lovers and a solid 77% on the independent nutritional ratings website All About Dog Food.
Taking a closer look at their food, Forthglade offer four cold pressed recipes -
🐓 Chicken (17.5% fresh & 15% dried)
🦆 Duck (17.5% fresh & 15% dried)
🦃 Turkey (17.5% fresh & 15% dried)
🐟 Salmon (16% fresh & 13% dried)
Our tester commented that the individual pellets were quite large (9mm diameter) and crunchy compared to their usual brand (seen here on the right with our tester's nose).
Their packaging includes a handy window, so you can visually assess the kibble size before buying.
It's worth noting that Forthglade do offer a turkey recipe with slightly smaller pellets for small breed dogs.
One thing that makes Forthglade stand out from the crowd is their range of sizes. From the 2kg bags to the massive 20kg (2 x 10kg bags), it's this flexibility that impressed us. Once you know your dog loves the food, you can switch to the money-saving big bags.
We know it's a small point nevertheless it's worth mentioning, of all the dry foods we've tested, we found the Forthglade bags the easiest to reseal and keep the dry food fresh.
Each bag has a durable velcro strip which our testers loved. An important point especially if you're buying a bigger bag and need to keep it fresher for longer!
Unfortunately Forthglade don't offer a cold pressed sample pack so the minimum order would be their small 2kg bag.
Forthglade offer a Subscribe and Save option on-line and as with Walker & Drake, you can have your dog food delivered to your door regularly with a 10% saving and free deliveries (on orders over £30).
As well as the four cold pressed recipes to chose from, if you have a picky pup, Forthglade offer an exceptionally wide range of complete and complementary wet food which you can add as toppers.
Wet foods are often seen as more palatable for picky pups so make an enticing addition to dry food.
Voted Best Wet Food 2024 by the readers of Your Dog Magazine, Forthglade offer two extensive ranges of complete wet food - Grain Free and Wholegrain.
All their wet food recipes regardless of whether they are grain free or wholegrain, are formulated to include 75% salmon, lamb, duck, beef or turkey. It's worth pointing out that this is an exceptionally high meat content so perfect as a topper with the cold pressed food.
Our Verdict - The bottom line is that we've found that Forthglade's extensive range of cold pressed, wet foods and treats offer a convenient one-stop-shop for dog lovers looking for a high quality and nutritious diet for their dog. |
Buying Options
First time customers use discount code
SMARTBARK40 for a massive 40% OFF
OR
Existing customers use discount code SMARTBARK15
for 15% OFF kout
We thought you might be interested .....
If you're looking at a dry dog food, we love this Food Scoop and Bag Clip from designer brand - MaxBone.
The beautifully designed 2-in-1 scoop and clip will not only ensure the dog food stays fresh by helping to seal the bag, but the collapsible measuring scoop helps you accurately control your dog's food portion to avoid overfeeding.
The scoop holds 1/2 a cup of food. Better still it collapses to save space plus it’s dishwasher safe.
Our Verdict
All three of the brands featured in our review offer top quality cold pressed dog food. They all rate highly on the independent nutritional rating website - All About Dog Food.
Our overall favourite is Wilsons. They offer the widest range of proteins and are best value. They are a great option for raw feeders out there. A combination of cold pressed and raw feeding can lower the daily price considerably and it's a convenient alternative when you're travelling with your dog.
If you have a small breed we would definitely recommend taking a closer look at Walker & Drake as we think that their reduced pellet size is a game changer for smaller dogs. Plus their new Dual Protein cold pressed food has been rated best Cold Pressed on All About Dog Food which is a prized accolade.
Lastly Forthglade cold pressed, Great quality as you'd expect from Forthglade and not only do we like their range of sizes on offer from 2kg 'try it out bags' to 20kg 'money-saving bulk packs' but coupled with their extensive range of wet toppers for those picky pups out there, they certainly tick a lot of boxes for us.
How We Chose
Now you may be wondering how we picked these three dog foods ?
We decided to start off our hunt for the best cold pressed dog food by analysing top-selling brands and trending newcomers with rave reviews on retailers like Amazon, Pets at Home, and their own websites.
From there, we also considered brands we've tried out ourselves to create a short list. We made sure we (and our team of Canine Testers) tested the brands featured to check all claims and add some 'real world' feedback.
Without a scientific background, we analysed the nutritional ratings on All About Dog Food, calculated prices per day for a range of dogs, looked into clarity of labelling and assessed the rest of each brand's range.
Our criteria for including brands was based on -
💛 High nutritional value
💛 Price
💛 Range of proteins
💛 Overall offer to customers
You of course, may have other ideas ! If you think we've missed an absolute corker of a cold pressed dog food - please let us know.
All our products are sent to us by the companies involved and almost always as a result of our request. We only review the products we think are worth reviewing. Thanks for dropping by and checking out our review of the Best Cold Pressed Dog Foods.
