A new report into the growth of direct-to-consumer (D2C) pet foods brands in Europe has identified the UK as the largest market for the model in the continent.
The study, carried out by Poland-based manufacturer and novel ingredients provider Proteine Resources, aims to benchmark every D2C pet food brand in Europe by type, price per kg and by investment funding raised by operators. The report identifies 113 D2C brands, comprising 8,900 products, operating across 28 national markets, with a total of €811m raised in investment funding.
Five markets – the United Kingdom, France, Germany/Austria/Switzerland, Poland, and Iberia – account for roughly half of all brands mapped in the report, with different product formats dominating in different territories.
In the UK, 21brands, representing 19% of the total dataset, were identified including 10 fresh/cooked and four raw/BARF brands. Four of the top six disclosed funding rounds in Europe went to British-based firms, with Butternut Box (€442m) accounting for 55% of all disclosed funding in Europe on its own.
The UK median price of €10.95 per kg reflects the dominance of fresh and subscription models, the report points out, which naturally command higher price points than shelf-stable alternatives.
The report goes on to say: “British consumers have demonstrated a remarkable willingness to pay for perceived quality and convenience, underpinned by high digital adoption, strong last-mile logistics infrastructure, and a cultural tendency to treat pets as family members. This combination of factors has made the UK the test market for nearly every D2C innovation that later spreads to the continent.”
