Suppliers from across the pet trade are celebrating their success at last week’s Pet Industry Federation (PIF) Awards.
The awards were presented at a black-tie dinner at the Double Tree Hilton in Stoke-on-Trent. Distributor Su-Bridge Pet Supplies attended as the platinum sponsor and was also named as Wholesaler of the Year, the third year in a row that the company has claimed the prize.
Managing Director Ian Manning said: “This win is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone at Su-Bridge.
“Our team’s dedication to excellence has driven this remarkable achievement and it’s an honour to be recognised once again by PIF.”
In the Supplier of the Year category, the award went to Pet Trade Innovations and Managing Director Steve Driver collected the trophy.
He said: “2024 has been a great year and winning this award is like putting the icing on the cake!
“We’ve launched Wonderful World of Treats (WWOT), which fulfils dog owner’s expectations to offer ‘human cuisine’ tastes and nutrients at a cost-effective price point. We pride ourselves in understanding what owners need to keep their dogs happy and enriched as reflected by our wide range of chews and accessories.”
He continued: “With over 30 years’ experience in the pet industry, I feel we’ve moved with the times, adapting to satisfy a new customer ‘s demand and interest in maintaining their pet’s wellbeing.
“Offering eco-conscious solutions, WWOT is the only treat brand in the UK to be plastic free. We’re proud to offer product solutions that can improve the lives of pets and their people. We’re excited about building on our customer network in 2025 with a few surprises in store.”
Claire’s Comfy Canines, based in Burnham, Berkshire, was named as Dog Daycare Business of the Year.
Establised by Claire Hunter, the independent business has been providing day care services since 2010 and is a previous winner of the award, as well as being runners-up three years running.
Hunter said: “We were so happy to be in the finals again but never dreamed we would win the award for a second year. The day care sector has grown rapidly over the years and to be recognised in such stiff competition was an absolute privilege.”
Also celebrating the evening was the team from Brighton-based Play9, which won the award for Marketing Campaign of the Year for the company’s innovative Roolo dog toy.
The campaign was themed around the strapline “Most Other Dog Toys Are Just Balls”, and was designed to connect with pet owners through authentic, creative messaging.
Play9 Founder Lee Bridges said: “This award feels surreal. To be acknowledged by the Pet Industry Federation within our first year is beyond our expectations.
“It’s a fantastic validation of our team’s hard work and a powerful motivator to keep pushing boundaries in the pet industry.
“We know this ‘ballsy’ statement will raise some eyebrows but we wanted to highlight the fact that the Roolo is a completely unique offering, unlike any other pet product on the market.”
