Pet food producer on track to double in size
The co-founders of a West Yorkshire-based pet food business, who turned down a Dragons’ Den offer in 2014, now employ more than 70 people and have their sights set on even further growth.
Dan Valdur-Eha and Mathew Cockroft launched Pure Pet Food in 2012 with a £300 Calderdale Council grant and an overdraft.
The business, which operates from a base in Cleckheaton, has since sold over 30 million dog meals and is on track to double in size this year.
Pure got its big break a decade ago when it appeared on Dragons Den. The Dragons loved the co-founders’ pitch, and the pair were offered £40,000 worth of investment from Deborah Meaden and Kelly Hoppen but decided to turn it down.
Cockroft said: “When we first started, our office space was Dan’s mum’s spare room, and we celebrated each day when an order was placed. Dan even knew most of the customer’s names.
“To think that we now work from a 15,000 sq ft food facility and send out an articulated lorry of personalised orders each day is mind-blowing.
“We always believed Pure could be a household name, but the recent speed of growth and scale has even surprised us.
“We’ve come a long way from creating recipes in my mum’s kitchen. Although we may have grown, what drives us remains the same: to provide happier, healthier, and longer lives for our pets.
“We would like to thank the judges for recognising for such a prestigious award and we’re excited to continue to grow the business here in Yorkshire.”
Pure trebled in size last year and says it will be recruiting to take its current headcount to over 100 staff this year.
