Startup Aardvark will make its food debut this month with a range of insect pet foods.
The brand will launch a two-person range of dry food – one for dogs and one for cats – directly to consumers from April 26th.
Packed in paper bags that are both recyclable and compostable, they are made from black soldier fly meal mixed with seaweed and sweet potatoes. “We’ve worked with the world’s leading veterinarians and nutritionists to make sure every ingredient is there for a reason,” said Hugo Walters, founder of Aardvark.
“There are a variety of benefits associated with insect protein,” he added. “It’s much better [than meat] for dogs and cats with sensitive stomachs. “It is also more sustainable if it does not contain meat, he added. “Petfood is responsible for about a quarter of the environmental damage associated with the meat industry.”
The launch was largely funded by the crowd. Aardvark went to Crowdcube last summer to raise £ 50,000. It eventually increased six times the amount.
The startup now has 912 investors to add wet meals and age-specific foods to its offering. The brand might also consider herbal products, Walters said. They would only be intended for dogs because cats “cannot extract protein from a plant-based diet”.
Aardvark’s debut comes after Mars Petcare unveiled Lovebug last month, a new brand of cat food made entirely from black soldier flies. This makes it the first 100% insect-based cat food to be launched in the UK by a major supplier.
