Different Dog VS Butternut Box – Dog food review

We have two gorgeous dogs. Benji who is a cavapoo aged 11 months and Milo who is a cockapoo aged 10 weeks. We want to feed them the best food we can find other than raw (as a childminder I am not keen on having raw meat around). We have found two companies who offer homecooked food, delivered to your address which are high in meat content.

We have been feeding Benji ‘Butternut box’ from when we brought him home and he has enjoyed his food up until recently when he has become fussy about eating and can eat loads one day but not much the next. Benji does however get bored of eating the same few flavours and often sniffs it and walks away for an hour or so before coming back and nibbling.

We spoke to Different Dog at the All about dogs show we recently attended, they offer a range of meals and continually update their menu each week. This sounded interesting to us as we like variety as humans so why wouldn’t our dogs. Their tagline describes their food perfectly

‘New menu every week. Cooked like you would at home. Delivered to your bowl’.

We purchased a couple of pots at the dog show for us to try at home as an alternative to Butternut Box. Benji enjoyed this food and ate it up straight away, we thought we would get in contact regarding an order. We didn’t want to jump in with both feet if he was going to get bored of their meals a few weeks in.

We got in contact and Different dog were happy to send a small hamper of products to try before our subscription box was delivered. They also sent a super cute card congratulating on the arrival of our new puppy ‘Milo’.

We loved that the box had a sticker on which said ‘Benji and Milo’.

Packaging:

Different dog -The boxes of food come in tubs which stack together in the freezer. You remove from the freezer defrost and the serve to your dog at room temperature or you can heat. Benji and Milo were excited when they smelt the food container being opened. The packaging also has ‘Benji’s food’ on the label which is super cute, they also list the name of who prepared it and the date it was cooked.

We liked the packaging they ship their food as it is recyclable and had a lid so if you were to open it in the morning you can pop the lid back on and feed the rest of the pot in the evening. The box of food comes in a box with recyclable wool insulation and ice packs to keep the food frozen. Different dog food is delivered every 4 weeks.

 

Butternut box – This food is packaged and cooked in plastic packets which is a downside for us as it is not recyclable but it does fit nicely in a freezer as is flat and takes up less space. It also is not resealable so if you are serving in two portions throughout the day it is less than ideal to store.The packaging box is recyclable and also the insulation is recyclable wool too. Butternut box food is delivered every 3 weeks.

Ingredients:

Both companies home cook their food using locally sourced produce. As this food is healthy and home-cooked it is totally suitable for puppies therefore this has saved us having to buy two different types of food. There is no need to buy ‘puppy’ ‘junior’ or ‘adult’ dog food.

Different dog – Both dogs have enjoyed their Different dog meals and sniffed around for more. They have since enjoyed every meal of the hamper licking their bowls clean. Different dog is yet to be rated on All about dogs the website which informs owners about how healthy food is and how it compares to other food. This would be beneficial to the company as I know most dog owners check out food on the site…. I  believe they are a relatively new company so this may be on their ‘to-do’ list.

Butternut box is also rated 5/5 on the allaboutdogfood website which rates the quality of food across the market. This gives us peace of mind that we are feeding our dogs with good quality food which will aid their development.

Both companies provide the option to alter which recipes are sent in each order by selecting which meals your dogs want to eat. This was completed relatively easily on both websites.

Cost:

Different dog: 330g as a 50/50 diet for £50.80 for Benji every 4 weeks.

Butternut box: 400g for £49.77 for 3 weeks of food. They recommend 500g for 100% of Benji’s recommended daily allowance.

Both food options are pretty close in cost looking at this comparison.

Different dog offer snacks for dogs also and a range of hampers which would be great for those who would like to give their product a try without buying a full subscription.

Customer service:

Different dog – The staff we have spoken to have been friendly and helpful via email. We have received a personalised service and the website is user-friendly. They are a small family run business and you feel this when talking to the staff. They are passionate and excited about their products.

Butternut box – We have had great service from Butternut box via email from January when we started receiving our orders. They often add free gifts to subscription boxes such as a bandana and toothbrush which is lovely. We have also the reassurance that there is a free dedicated vet telephone line for customer 24/7 in case of needing a vet to discuss a health concern. Butternut boxes website is easier to use and the referral link is great whereby a friend can receive a free box of food to try and they donate a weeks of food to a dog charity. We also love the social media site which is regularly updated with top tips and helpful information.

What we thought:

We would definitely recommend Different dog & Butternut box for dog food deliveries. We love that with both you can choose the combination of the meals you receive in your order. We are undecided as to which food our dogs will eat long term. Both offer great food and customer services and we really like both companies for different reasons. I suppose it will depend on Benji and Milo’s fussiness as to which we order for them. It is hard to choose between the two companies as we like elements of both businesses. Why not give them a go and we would love to hear what you think.

All Different dog first orders can receive 25% off using our code – HUNGRY25

Check out Different dog here: https://www.differentdog.com/

For your first free box of Butternut box please head to: butternutbox.com/Rebecca70 

Check out Butternut box here: https://butternutbox.com/

*  We were sent a complimentary small hamper from Different dog in exchange for an honest blog post.