Note: This article provides factual comparisons of dog food products and brands. It does not constitute veterinary or nutritional advice. Always consult your vet before making significant dietary changes, particularly if your dog has a health condition.
Choosing a Dog Food: The Only Metric That Matters
Before any brand name, check whether a food is labelled "complete" — meaning it provides all the nutrients a dog needs as a sole diet — or "complementary" — meaning it needs to be combined with other foods to be nutritionally balanced. Complementary foods (many wet trays, many treats) are not meal replacements. This single distinction is more important than any brand reputation.
For comparing nutritional quality across brands, the independent site All About Dog Food (AADF) scores UK dog foods on ingredient quality and nutritional completeness — a more reliable benchmark than marketing claims on packaging. Where scores are referenced below, they come from AADF.
Best Dry Dog Food: Forthglade Cold-Pressed
Cold-pressed to keep more nutrients bag-to-bowl, Forthglade Cold-Pressed scores 73–75% on AADF at just £1.02 a day — ahead of pricier names like Lily's Kitchen and James Wellbeloved. Ideal for owners who want high-quality dry without the premium price.
Forthglade is a Devon-based UK manufacturer that has been making pet food since 1971 — a genuine independent brand rather than a multinational label. Its cold-pressed production method uses lower temperatures than standard kibble extrusion, which proponents argue preserves more of the meat's natural nutrients.
Best Premium Wet Food: Lily's Kitchen
Lily's Kitchen is regularly cited by veterinary sources for nutritionist-developed recipes that include human-grade meat and no artificial additives. Now part of Nestlé, Lily's Kitchen is still made in the UK, with prices at £4–7 per day for a medium dog. It's the premium wet food most commonly found in independent pet shops and most consistently recommended by owners in the premium-natural segment.
Its World Dishes multipack wet trays are a practical starting point if you want to introduce Lily's Kitchen without committing to a large order.
Best Fresh Subscription: Butternut Box
Fresh dog food — gently cooked, refrigerated or delivered frozen in pre-portioned daily packs — is the fastest-growing segment of the UK dog food market. Butternut Box is the category leader: meals arrive pre-portioned by dog weight with a personalised feeding plan. It's genuinely convenient but also genuinely expensive, typically running £40–100/month for a medium dog. Recommended for owners who specifically want to avoid processed kibble and are comfortable with the premium and the subscription model.
Best for Vet-Recommended Clinical Nutrition: Hill's Science Plan and Royal Canin
Both Hill's and Royal Canin occupy a specific and important niche: evidence-backed therapeutic and breed-specific nutrition that most premium-natural brands don't offer. Many vets recommend science-backed brands like Hill's Science Plan and Royal Canin especially for health conditions.
If your vet has recommended either brand for a specific health reason — urinary, kidney, digestive, joint, skin conditions, or breed-specific developmental needs — follow that recommendation over any general comparison. These brands are formulated for specific physiological requirements, not general taste preference.
Best Budget: Harringtons
Harringtons scores well with both vets and dog owners particularly for clear labelling. At £2–3.50/kg in most supermarkets, it's one of the most widely available honest-value options that doesn't sacrifice basic nutritional completeness for rock-bottom price. Not a premium food, but a reliable everyday option for owners where cost is a genuine constraint.
The Cost-Per-Day Calculation
Bag price is almost always misleading for comparing dog foods — higher-protein, nutrient-dense foods typically require smaller feeding amounts per day, so a higher-priced bag can work out cheaper per day than a bulkier, lower-density alternative. The useful number is usually cost per day. A 20kg adult dog needs roughly 1,050 kcal a day — format and feeding quantity matter more than the discount badge.
Always calculate cost per day at the recommended feeding amount for your dog's weight, not cost per kilogram of food.
For a Direct Head-to-Head
If you're specifically deciding between our two top-recommended brands, see our Forthglade vs Lily's Kitchen comparison for a detailed breakdown of where each wins on dry and wet food.
