Dave Kemp is an entrepreneur on a mission. A mission to transform the pet food industry and make healthy good food accessible to all dog owners. The Founder of Ethically Raised, an ethical raw dog food brand that only works with British farmers practising regenerative farming and Ethically Raised is the first (and currently) the only pet food brand to be certified for leading standards in environmental conservation and animal welfare by A Greener World & Pasture For Life. Dave spoke to The Gentleman in this exclusive interview about business, dogs and his vision for the future.

Ethically Raised is unique in its business model, but what was your ‘eureka’ moment to starting the business?

“When my partner and I got our Schnoodle puppy Bertie we wanted to feed him the very best. We started to look into the dog food industry, the ingredients, the formulations. We came across ‘Pet Fooled’ on Netflix, and at the same time, I was watching and reading what trailblazers such as top vet Dr Karen Becker and author Rodney Habib were saying about pet longevity, health and well-being. Searching for an ‘off the shelf’ food that was healthy and wholesome proved really difficult. About six months after getting Bertie, we opened a doggie day care centre and again, feeding dogs became very much part of our daily routine. The more we knew about what went into dog food and how the food was made, the more we felt compelled to make a change.”

That metamorphosis from a passion to creating a thriving business came to fruition after Dave chanced upon a documentary called ‘Kiss The Ground’ and Doctor Mercola’s video on YouTube of White Oak Pastures and farmer Will Harris.

 
“Once I watched these videos and documentaries, I knew that we could farm better, but we could also cultivate regeneratively. This set me on the path with Ethically Raised and my quest not just to create a pet food business but a life-enhancing journey that pet parents will take to have a healthy, happy pet that will also live longer. “

Spring boarding a successful business on the back of another might seem to some to be an easy transition but as Dave explains, launching such a niche business proved to have its challenges;

“My experience in building our successful doggie day care business certainly stood us in good stead for launching this business and understanding obvious pitfalls, but of course, like any new business, you make mistakes. For example, hiring the wrong people, funding issues, overspending or over-preparing. These are part and parcel of running a business, especially a start-up, and you have to learn from the mistakes.”

“However, Ethically Raised brought different challenges. For example, we had logistical issues initially because all of our British farmers are all over the UK. We also had to manage and organise inspecting each farm and getting deliveries or collecting items ourselves. These were steep learning curves.”

Dave, who has ADHD and dyslexia, recognises the challenges both have presented throughout his lifetime. Leaving school with basic qualifications, Dave focused on his strengths and found that technology and attention to detail were his forte, combining the two later in retail production and merchandising. These days whilst his dyslexia brings daily challenges, his experience gleaned in retail has proved a winning formula, and Dave has learnt to harness his ADHD positively

;“My brain works at 100 miles an hour, and it’s very hard to stop and switch off. If I’m not at work, I am thinking about work, coming up with ideas in the shower (I swear that place is more of an office than anywhere else) or even before bed writing emails or messaging the team with an idea. The times I get to relax is at weekends when I am with the family or out at the pub watching rugby or football.

”Recognising his strengths and weaknesses have been paramount to their success, as Dave explains;

“Whilst I have extensive knowledge of dog nutrition, I am not a veterinary or qualified dog nutritionist, so we onboarded the expertise of my vet and the help of a leading independent Canine Integrative Wellness Nutritionist, Junior Hudson. Junior was instrumental in creating the nutritionally balanced recipes we offer; Raw Grass-Fed Beef Dog Food and Venison Tartare, which perfectly blend taste with balanced goodness.

And the next steps for Ethically Raised?

“The next steps for our business are to develop more recipes and continue to source the best possible ingredients for each meal. We are aiming to continue to make more sustainable choices and investments such as fitting enough solar power to power our whole operation with a fleet of electric vans carrying our stock and investing in our farmers by planting trees and bushes. We would also love to set up our own farm producing food for humans and our beloved pets one day.

Ultimately, our end goal is it be the ‘go to’ choice of dog food for the discerning dog owner. We operate with transparency and honesty surrounding the production of our food and the ingredients that go into it and I believe those principles matter to discerning dog owners.

”And if you could give dog owners one piece of advice, what would that be?“

My biggest piece of advice to all pet owners is to feed fresh! There are now emerging studies that have linked dry pet food with a significantly higher risk of having inflammatory diseases. Read The Forever Dog by Karen and Rodney and be taken on a journey of discovery. Our dogs should be living longer, and if they are not, then why is that

”Food for thought.

Learn more at: https://ethicallyraised.co.uk