Best Mates Petfood

What Best Mates Petfood does

BestMates PetFood Co Ltd is a New Zealand-based manufacturer of natural air-dried pet treats and meals, founded in 1999 and headquartered at 10 Dean Crescent, Waihi. The company sources 100% natural ingredients — beef, lamb, poultry, pork, and venison along with vegetables and fruit — directly from New Zealand growers and applies an air-dried manufacturing process designed to preserve natural flavors and nutrients while producing shelf-stable, easy-to-digest products marketed as free-range, GE-free, hormone-free, high-protein, and low-fat.

Since 2019 the company has operated exclusively as the ingredient manufacturer for its own retail sub-brand, Tu Meke Friend, which sells directly to consumers through a branded e-commerce storefront (tumeke-pet.nz) and is positioned for both domestic and global export markets. The business model is effectively an integrated manufacturer-retailer structure: Best Mates produces the ingredient base and Tu Meke Friend carries the consumer-facing brand, distribution, and pricing.

The company employs between 1 and 10 people, has no disclosed funding, no M&A activity, no patents or trademarks on record, and no published pricing. Its go-to-market combines an owned e-commerce channel with an active reseller recruitment motion targeting both New Zealand and international partners. Revenue is not disclosed and the company remains privately held with no evidence of external investment.

Name

Best Mates Petfood

Legal name

BestMates PetFood Co Ltd

Website

https://bestmatespetfood.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Best Mates Petfood is a New Zealand manufacturer of natural air-dried pet treats and meals, founded in 1999, that since 2019 has produced exclusively for its own Tu Meke Friend retail brand serving domestic and export pet owner markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Food Manufacturing

NAICS

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

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Freeze-Dried & Dehydrated Pet Food (AFADAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pet Treats & Chews (AFADAFAF)

Keywords

• Air-dried pet food
• Natural pet treats
• Pet food manufacturing
• Pet nutrition products
• Premium pet meals

Headquarters

HQ city

Waihi Beach

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pet Food Manufacturing: Manufacturing pet treats and meals using 100% natural New Zealand ingredients. Since 2019, exclusively focused on manufacturing ingredients for their premium Tu Meke Friend pet food brand, producing beef, lamb, poultry, pork, and venison-based products for domestic and global markets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Best Mates Petfood manufactures 100% natural air-dried pet treats and meals using locally grown New Zealand ingredients (beef, lamb, poultry, pork, venison) combined with vegetables and fruit. Since 2019, the company has manufactured exclusively for its own premium retail sub-brand, Tu Meke Friend, producing easy-to-digest formulations free from artificial ingredients.

Product overview

Best Mates Petfood Co Ltd operates as a manufacturer of natural pet treats and meals using 100% natural New Zealand ingredients sourced directly from local growers. The company manufactures ingredients exclusively for their premium sub-brand, Tu Meke Friend, which produces air-dried pet food and treats featuring beef, lamb, poultry, pork, and venison combined with vegetables and fruit. Since 2019, the company has been exclusively focused on supplying ingredients for the Tu Meke Friend retail brand while continuing to manufacture pet treats and meals for the domestic and global market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tu Meke Friend: Premium New Zealand retail pet food brand featuring beef, lamb, poultry, pork and venison-based treats and pet food combinations made with 100% natural ingredients sourced from New Zealand growers.

Products and services

• Best Mates Petfood Air-Dried Pet Treats and Meals 100% natural air-dried pet treats and meals manufactured using locally grown New Zealand ingredients (beef, lamb, poultry, pork, venison) combined with vegetables and fruit, designed to meet the dietary and health requirements of pets with easily digestible formulations.
• Tu Meke Friend Premium Pet Food Brand Retail pet food brand exclusively manufactured by Best Mates Petfood, featuring air-dried beef, lamb, poultry, pork and venison-based products combined with vegetables and fruit, sold through the Tu Meke Friend e-commerce site and reseller network to domestic and global pet owners.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Tu Meke FriendcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerTu Meke Friend is the exclusive retail pet food brand manufactured by Best Mates Petfood. Since 2019, Best Mates has been exclusively focused on manufacturing ingredients for this brand. The relationship is strategic and vertically integrated, with Best Mates producing all ingredients for the Tu Meke Friend product line.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Mars Petcare: World's largest pet food manufacturer with broad premium portfolio (Royal Canin, Pedigree, etc.). Relevant as the dominant incumbent competing for the same shelf space and consumer wallet share that Best Mates targets in both domestic and export markets.
• Champion Petfoods (Orijen & Acana): Global premium pet food manufacturer (Orijen, Acana brands) producing biologically appropriate, air-dried and freeze-dried products with regionally sourced proteins. Comparable in premium positioning and protein-forward formulations, but materially larger scale and broader international distribution.
• Nestlé Purina PetCare: Global pet food giant with extensive premium and natural product lines (Purina ONE, Pro Plan, Beyond). Represents the large-scale incumbent against which Best Mates must compete for retailer listings and consumer mindshare in the natural/premium segment.

Direct peers

• Addiction Pet Foods: New Zealand-based premium pet food brand using air-dried and raw formulations with locally sourced ingredients. Closely comparable in product format, NZ origin narrative, and reliance on export markets for premium positioning.
• Stella & Chewy's: US-based premium pet food maker specializing in freeze-dried and raw frozen products with multiple protein options. Directly comparable product format (freeze-dried/air-dried shelf-stable pet food) and multi-protein portfolio, though serving primarily the North American market.
• Vital Essentials: US-based freeze-dried and frozen raw pet food manufacturer with multi-protein offerings. Comparable in minimally-processed production method and natural ingredient positioning targeting the same premium pet owner segment.
• Primal Pet Foods: Premium manufacturer of freeze-dried and frozen raw pet food with diverse protein range. Comparable in shelf-stable minimally-processed format and multi-protein SKU strategy, with established US specialty retail presence.
• K9 Natural: New Zealand-based manufacturer of premium air-dried and frozen raw pet food, founded around the same era as Best Mates. Directly comparable in air-dried manufacturing technique, NZ origin story, multi-protein portfolio, and global export ambitions within the premium natural pet food category.
• Ziwi Limited: New Zealand manufacturer of air-dried pet food using locally sourced New Zealand proteins. Direct competitor in the air-dried format with a global premium distribution footprint, comparable product format (air-dried), protein variety, and provenance-led brand positioning.

Emerging players

• Open Farm: North American premium pet food brand emphasizing ethical sourcing, traceability, and human-grade ingredients. Comparable premium positioning and provenance-led storytelling, though focused primarily on kibble, wet, and raw formats rather than air-dried.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/best-mates-petfood

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Best Mates Petfood