YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND — Naturaw Pet Food, a leading supplier of raw pet food in the United Kingdom, has secured an investment from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II), managed by Mercia Debt Finance, to continue its market expansion. The six-figure funding will help the company equip its new 15,000-square-foot production facility at Wetherby’s Thorp Arch Estate. The new site doubled the company’s production floorspace.
“Naturaw is a purpose-led business that has quickly built a following amongst pet owners and become a leader in its field,” said Gary Whitaker, investment manager at Mercia Debt. “Access to funding is vital for fast-growing firms like these as they are constantly having to invest in bigger premises, new equipment and staff, and they need more working capital. We are pleased to be able to support the Naturaw team as they take the business to the next stage of its development.”
Over the past 18 months, Naturaw has almost doubled its employee count from 18 to 35, and won the King’s Award for Enterprise for excellence in sustainable development.
Jess Warneken founded Naturaw Pet Food in 2014 after her Rhodesian Ridgeback, Louis, suffered from recurrent ear and skin issues. After feeding Louis a fresh meat-based diet, his health improved, which led Warneken to start Naturaw. In 2018, the company opened its first manufacturing operation. Since then, Naturaw has doubled its capacity every two years.
The brand now offers more than 20 recipes, with all production, packaging and distribution from its Wetherby location. It is also a registerd B Corp and is committed to using plastic-free packaging.
“Dogs are designed to eat fresh, natural, raw food rather than processed ingredients and we’re passionate about creating the best raw food we can,” Warneken said. “As demand continued to rise, it was clear we had outgrown our existing premises and we had no option but to take on and fit out a second unit. Together with the funding from Mercia and NPIF II, we now have both the space and the finance we need to continue growing the business.”
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