A town’s former butchers has reopened with a new tenant - but the meat they are selling is not for man - but man's best friend.
The Real Dog Food Company officially opened in Attleborough last month and is located at a former butchers which belonged to the late Geoff Ellis on Church Street.
Owners Sarah Horan and Mark Cawthorne said they were inspired to open a “butchers for dogs” after realising the health benefits of a raw meat diet – which they give to their six dogs.
The building’s owner had left the business empty since it closed, with hopes another butcher would take it over - so Ms Horan approached them with her idea.
“We are both very passionate about raw food for dogs and giving them the best possible diet,” she said. “We started off an as online company and we had been looking for a presence on the high street.
“We had been looking for a premises and we knew that the former Geoff Ellis butchers had been empty for a couple of years but we were also aware that the landlord wanted it to continue as a butcher. So, we thought we would put our business plan to him and he liked it.”
The business opened on August 29 and Ms Horn said they have had a “fantastic” start, with many new and old dog owners coming to see them.
They sell high-quality meat including duck, turkey, venison, beef, lamb and fish as well as 100pc natural dog treats, all of which are grain free.
Ms Horan said she also offers a free service which includes weighing your dog to create a customised raw meat meal plan.
She added: “The more I looked into it the more I realised that dogs are actually genetically designed to eat raw meat.
“A lot of people think it’s an expensive way to feed dogs. But it’s not. You are giving them specifically what they need to thrive and they won’t need anything else.
“My oldest dog is 16 and she hasn’t had a visit to the vets for several years.
“The benefits include healthier skin and coat, healthier digestive tract, less allergy problems, improved behaviour and just generally healthier and happier overall.”
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