Tuggs: Fresh Dog Food with a Sustainable Twist

By Argjenda Miftari

Located in the creative hub of Great Western Studios is Tuggs, a dog food company doing things differently. Tuggs makes fresh, nutritious meals for dogs using only real ingredients – gently cooked, frozen for freshness, and uniquely powered by insect protein.

We caught up with the founder, Harry, to talk sustainability, startup life, and why dogs deserve better food.

What inspired you to launch Tuggs? And why insect protein?

In 2017 I read about the regulatory changes in the EU allowing insects to be used in aquafeed. Subsequently I became intrigued with entomophagy and was curious by the slow adoption in the West. However, it was not until 2021 whilst doing my Masters at UCL that I began to develop an idea, at which point I wrote a dissertation on the UK dog food industry. A month after presenting my thesis my professor called me and became our first investor.

 

How do you ensure meals meet dogs’ nutritional needs?

We work with some of the UK’s top nutritionists and vets to formulate our recipes and ensure that they are complete and balanced for dogs of all ages. Luckily, the nutritional composition of the insects that we use add significant amounts of necessary vitamins and minerals to our meals.

 

A day in the Tuggs studio.

At the Tuggs office, every day starts with coffee for the humans and treats for the visiting pups (Cooper). Our mornings are usually a mix of creative brainstorms, customer check-ins, and team standups where we talk everything from new recipe launches to app updates.

While our production happens offsite, we stay closely connected to the process, working with our partners to make sure everything going into a Tuggs meal is top quality.

Afternoons might include planning upcoming campaigns, testing out new packaging (with lots of sniff-approvals from Cooper), and collaborating across teams to keep things running smoothly. There is always a dog or two curled up near someone’s desk.

It is fast-paced, fun, and completely dog-obsessed – just the way we like it.

The heart of the studio: the wall of Tuggsters

It has to be the giant wall of Tuggsters.

It started with a few polaroids of our team’s dogs, and now it is filled with hundreds of photos sent in by Tuggs customers from all over the country – dogs of every size, age, and personality, all loving their meals. We have taken these pictures from our website where customers can upload photos with notes alongside them, thanking us for helping picky eaters or dogs with sensitive stomachs finally enjoy mealtime again.

It is a daily reminder of why we do what we do. Every dog on that wall has their own story, and seeing their faces is the best motivation we could ask for.

 

Best advice for someone starting out in a creative career?

I have always liked the saying ‘well done is better than well said’ which I think encapsulates the core idea of just making a start and learning as you go. It is important to have conviction and just get going.

Most interesting conversation in the corridors of GWS – From Central Park to GWS

Whilst not in the corridors of GWS, I actually learnt about GWS by bumping into a friend from Sans Matin – the sneaker company which is now our neighbour – in Central Park. I had been looking for office space with no luck, but after this chance encounter I learnt about the studios and was happy to find that we could move in right beside them. I worked with them when they first launched in 2019 and I am very fond of their brand.

 

What has changed since joining the GWS community?

Having our own space has made collaborative work a lot more fun, and a lot more productive. It has also meant that my home freezer is no longer full of dog food.

 

Quickfire Qs

If Tuggs were a dog breed?
A Beagle – big appetite so we could eat as much Tuggs as possible

Theme song of the studio?
Dog Days Are Over

Final Thoughts

Tuggs is on a mission to make dog food better – for pets, people, and the planet. With fresh ingredients, sustainable thinking, and a whole lot of heart, they are making waves (and wagging tails) across the country, all from their cosy corner of Great Western Studios.

To learn more or meet the team, visit www.tuggs.uk or follow along @tuggspet on Instagram.