Poppy’s Picnic

What Poppy’s Picnic does

Poppy's Picnic is a UK-based direct-to-consumer raw pet food company operating as Four Legs Are Better Than Two Ltd. Founded in October 2016 by Dylan Watkins in Melksham, Wiltshire, the company formulates and delivers Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diets for dogs and cats, with recipes fine-tuned to FEDIAF nutritional guidelines by veterinary consultant Dr Charlotte Gray MRCVS. Manufacturing is DEFRA-registered with mandatory batch microbiological testing for Salmonella and Enterobacteriaceae by an independent laboratory, results of which are reported to APHA; in January 2024 the company became the first raw pet food brand in the world to achieve the UK Pet Food Raw Safety Standard.

The product portfolio centres on three core dog ranges — RAW POWER (complete raw mince with bone), MIGHTY MINCE (enhanced cookable raw meals with botanicals, using powdered eggshell as a bone substitute to enable both raw and cooked serving), and POWER BALLS (portion-controlled cookable meatballs) — plus the PURRY POWER cat food range marketed under the Tabby's Table sub-brand, air-dried treats, dental treats (CANINE CLEANERS), beef bone broth, and omega toppings (Super Sprinkles). The cookable raw food technology is claimed as a world first. All major product names are registered trademarks of Four Legs Are Better Than Two Ltd.

Revenue is generated primarily through a Shopify-powered e-commerce site selling one-time purchases plus 10%-discount subscriptions managed via Awtomic, supported by a Paw Points loyalty programme (Smile.io) and ReferralCandy programme. Wholesale distribution through ASDA (from September 2022) and Co-Op (from August 2023), an independent stockist network, and limited international online sales to Hong Kong provide additional channels. Per-pack unit pricing ranges from approximately £3.60 to £5.25 for 360–450g packs with bulk multi-pack discounts. The company claims 60,000+ pet guardians, a 4.8/5 average from 2,233 REVIEWS.io reviews, and 98% on-time delivery through courier partner DPD.

Name

Poppy’s Picnic

Legal name

Four Legs Are Better Than Two Ltd

Website

https://poppyspicnic.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Poppy's Picnic is a UK direct-to-consumer raw pet food company selling BARF diets for dogs and cats via Shopify e-commerce, ASDA, Co-Op, and independent stockists. It offers subscriptions, a loyalty programme, and a world-first cookable raw food technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Raw Pet Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111), Animal Food Manufacturing (31111)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen & Raw Pet Food (incl. freeze-dried) (CRADAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh & Refrigerated Pet Food (CRADAFAC), Pet Treats & Chews (AFADAFAF)

Keywords

• Raw pet food
• BARF dog food
• Pet food subscription
• Natural pet nutrition
• Raw cat food

Headquarters

HQ city

Melksham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales (One-time & Subscription): The company sells its raw pet food directly to consumers through its Shopify e-commerce website. Customers can purchase individual products, hampers, or set up recurring subscriptions. Subscriptions offer 10% off first order and 10% off recurring orders, with free Super Sprinkles included. The subscription model drives recurring revenue with flexible delivery that can be paused, cancelled, or amended anytime.
2. Retail / Wholesale Distribution: Products are sold through third-party retail channels including national chains (ASDA from September 2022, Co-Op from August 2023) and independent pet shops across the UK. Retailers purchase at wholesale prices, providing a B2B revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Poppy's Picnic manufactures and sells fresh, raw, and cookable complete pet food for dogs and cats following a BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet model. The product range includes complete raw mince, cookable enhanced mince, portioned meatballs, air-dried treats, dental treats, broths, and nutritional toppings, sold frozen via its own Shopify e-commerce site, subscriptions, and through UK national and independent retail stockists.

Product overview

Poppy's Picnic is a UK-based pet food company offering fresh, raw, and cookable pet food delivered frozen to customers. The product portfolio consists of three core dog food ranges: RAW POWER (complete raw food for working dogs), MIGHTY MINCE (enhanced cookable meals with botanicals), and POWER BALLS (portion-controlled meatballs). Complementary products include TASTY TREATS (air-dried treats), SUPER SPRINKLES toppings, CANINE CLEANERS dental treats, and Beef Bone Broth. For cats, the PURRY POWER range offers raw meatballs in various proteins, with TABBY'S TABLE branded treats and sprinkles. Additional offerings include a pet food subscription service with discounts, the Paw Points loyalty programme, and the RAWPLICITY educational guide. The company operates primarily through its Shopify-powered ecommerce platform with distribution via retail partners including ASDA and Co-Op.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tabby's Table: Raw cat food brand offering PURRY POWER meatballs and treats for cats and kittens.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60,000 pet guardians use Poppy's Picnic products
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NatWestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoppy's Picnic secured a place on the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator Programme in August 2017. Additionally, Dylan Watkins was accepted onto the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme in September 2018. The company also appeared in NatWest's Rethinking Business campaign (June 2019) and was ranked 6th out of thousands of businesses by NatWest's #PowerUp Index.
• Goldman SachsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder Dylan Watkins was accepted onto the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme in September 2018, providing business development and accelerator support.
• ASDAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPoppy's Picnic products are stocked in select ASDA stores across the UK. This major retail partnership began in September 2022, significantly expanding the brand's physical retail presence nationally.
• Co-operative (Co-Op)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPoppy's Picnic products are stocked in select Co-op convenience stores across the UK. This partnership began in August 2023, providing wider convenience store access for customers.
• Dr Charlotte Gray MRCVScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Charlotte Gray MA (Hons) MA VetMB (cantab) MRCVS serves as the company's vet and nutritional consultant. She is described as a 'renowned raw vet' and is prominently featured on the website: 'I still recommend Poppy's Picnic above all other raw food'. She fine-tunes all recipes to meet FEDIAF nutritional guidelines. She was involved in developing the original BARF diet formulations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Natures Menu: One of the UK's leading raw and natural pet food brands offering frozen raw meals for dogs and cats via DTC and retail. Directly comparable product portfolio, target customer, and BARF-aligned positioning; was acquired by Pets at Home in 2022, indicating the segment's strategic attractiveness.
• Wolf Tucker: UK-based raw dog food brand offering frozen raw meals via DTC with multi-protein recipes. Comparable product format, DEFRA registration, and small-batch positioning in the UK raw market.
• Natural Instinct: UK-based raw pet food manufacturer offering frozen raw dog and cat food via DTC and independent retailers. Overlapping DEFRA-registered manufacturing model, BARF positioning, and product format.
• Paleo Ridge: UK raw pet food company focused on pasture-fed, organic, and sustainable raw feeding. Comparable BARF product range with strong ethics/sustainability positioning competing for the same premium pet owner segment.
• Honey's Real Dog Food: UK raw and fresh dog food brand offering frozen complete meals. Direct competitor with similar DEFRA-compliant manufacturing and DTC distribution model.
• Bella & Duke: Scottish-headquartered DTC raw pet food brand offering frozen raw meals, bones, and supplements via subscription. Direct competitor in the UK raw pet food DTC subscription space with overlapping customer demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Stella & Chewy's: US-headquartered raw and freeze-dried pet food brand with wide retail distribution. Comparable raw/freeze-dried product format and premium positioning at significantly greater scale than Poppy's Picnic.
• Primal Pet Foods: Established US raw and freeze-dried pet food manufacturer with broad retail and DTC distribution. Larger-scale raw pet food incumbent with overlapping product architecture (raw frozen, freeze-dried).
• Butcher's Pet Care: UK mass-market dog food brand (owned by Nestlé Purina) offering fresh and natural wet food lines. Incumbent UK pet food manufacturer moving into premium fresh/natural segments that overlap with Poppy's Picnic's positioning.

Regional players

• Tesco / Sainsbury's own-label fresh pet ranges: Major UK grocers (alongside ASDA/Co-Op that already stock Poppy's Picnic) experimenting with own-label fresh/refrigerated dog food. Represents both a competitive threat and a potential retail partner opportunity within the same UK grocery channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/poppyspicnic
• Instagraminstagram.com/poppyspicnic
• Xx.com/poppyspicnic

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Poppy’s Picnic