Our Top Food Recommendations for UK Dogs - the 2026 edition!
I can’t believe it’s been 2 years since my last update to our food recommendations. But time has now come for me to take a look at the best foods I recommend for dogs, and this year there is going to be a particular focus on recession friendly prices as well as price point.
The Database we use - AADF
The database www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk, is still our absolute go to for this food review. Check them out - Independently assess and compare your dogs food - with www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk
Each product is rated on whether it matches 5 Criteria - Natural Ingredients, High Meat Content, Hyopallergenic, Clearly Labelled Ingredients, and whether to not the food is Nutritionally complete.
Our ‘Best of the Best’ Recommendation.
Nutriment - Complete Meal RAW dog food
from £1.52 per day | £7.39 for 1.4g
Nutriment is one of those brands that has never shouted about what they do, but have always had an incredible reputation amongst working professionals for offering the highest quality RAW dog food. Many of the top trainers I know use it for their own dogs, and Nutriment was also one of the first companies that really offered raw food in an attainable way for most people. For 2026, it felt high time they got some attention, from us at least. As far as raw food companies go, they offer very competitive pricing, and also have a very respectable 87% score on the AADF website.
You can find them here: www.nutriment.co.uk
Best Quality Dry Food - Our Recommendation
Eden - Sporting and Working Original Cuisine
£0.83 per day | £90.00 for 15kg.
At first glance, Eden may not look like a recession friendly bag of dog food - but as with any high end dry kibble, the key is in the details. AADF give them a 70% as fed protein rating, which comes out as 42% crude protein - thats incredibly high for a dry dog food and it means every piece of kibble goes a lot further, because you aren’t paying for filler and bulk.
Their Original cuisine is also packed with mixed protein sources and host of other beneficial ingredients, and they even offer two different kibble sizes for puppies and small breed dogs.
Check them out here: www.edenpetfoods.com
Yep - I’m still on Forthglade.
Forthglade - Complete Meal Wet Dog Food
£3.14 a day | £33.30 for 18X 400G pouches
At risk of repeating myself for a third year in a row, yes my dogs still eat Forthglade. Maybe it’s because they come from Devon like me. Maybe it’s because their steamed and sealed wet food can be stored in a cupboard until you open it. But mostly its because for almost a decade, I've fed all of my dogs on this, without issues or upset - and they’re all healthier and happier for it.
Our Top Value Picks
DARF - Complete Meal Cold Pressed Dog Food
£0.60 per day | £54.99 for 12kg
As a general rule, if its being shipped in a plain brown bag, you know you aren’t wasting money on advertising - and that means a lot more of what you pay for is going into great quality food. DARF seems to hit the sweet spot when it comes to good quality ingredients without red flags. The protein content isn’t the highest at 26% (60% by ingredients), with a much higher proportion of fruits and vegetables - but they use a wide range of meat protein sources including organ meats, which are much higher in nutritional benefits - and the cold pressed nature of the food means more of that quality stays locked in.
You can find them here: www.sabrepetfood.co.uk
Butchers - Healthy Heart Tinned dog food
£1.94 per day | £0.85 per Can
I know that when it comes to dog food, tinned goods come with a question mark. It’s very easy to assume that all dog food in a tin is processed to within an inch of its life, but there are exceptions to every rule.
Butchers is one of those brands that does quality on a budget really well - high quality protein, vegetables, and not a lot else.
The one thing to be mindful of with tinned food is water content - which means you end up feeding a lot more than you would with a wet tray or a dry kibble, and that can really add up when it comes to price per day. But being smart with a can and a dried mixer can give you the best of both worlds on a budget.
Butchers is available in most UK supermarkets, and you can find out more about the at www.butchersdogfood.co.uk
