Fresh For Paws: A journey into informed pet nutrition

Fresh For Paws is not just a pet nutrition brand; it’s a testament to the unwavering commitment of a pet parent to provide the finest nutrition for their beloved companion. 

In this exclusive interview with Ms. Srishti Bhatia, the founder of Fresh For Paws, we explore the unique story behind the brand’s inception and gain valuable insights into the world of informed pet nutrition. 

Discover how Fresh For Paws has redefined pet food, ensuring pets receive the highest quality meals for a healthy and happy life.

Can you tell us more about your personal journey and what inspired you to start Fresh For Paws? Especially the role your pet Vanilla played in this endeavour.

I have been very focused on you know what she is eating, what she is not eating and back then we had very few options in the market and it was mostly kibble dominated where you didn’t know what exactly that your pet is getting. I have always been very conscious about what she is getting as a diet and how much she is eating because of her weight management.

I never thought that I would start something on my own related to this but when I grew up I completed my graduation it just clicked me that you know I was pursuing CS and I was like if I can do it for my own pet and she’s doing great adjusting to the diet really well, so I just thought that why not do it for other pets also. 

But I had no knowledge about canine nutrition and everything. So I started to learn about it and coming from a commerce background it was very tricky to learn about, but I think being a pet parent also educates you at a lot of levels. So I think that’s how Vanilla inspired me to do something in this line and I studied about canine nutrition, I studied about the right kind of technology, how you pack the food and everything and that’s how I introduced Fresh for Paws in 2018. 

Fresh For Paws is based on ready to eat technology, could you explain how this works and why it’s important for maintaining the freshness and nutritional value of pet food? 

So, ready to eat technology is basically the technology you might have, like in normal human language if I say, we see ITC and MTR packets in the market, right? It’s the same technology that we use, so it’s basically a technology wherein we sterilise the food at a certain temperature for an hour or so and after that process has ended, the outside bacteria cannot act on the food so it’s shelf stable at the same time it’s all natural and no preservatives are added into it and this process is what helps us maintain the freshness and the nutritional value of the pet food.

It’s really necessary in this day and age because you need to give your dog the right kind of meal because if we also don’t have the right kind of nutrition, we will fall sick. So everything starts with your diet. 

As for us humans also, we need to be very cautious about what we are eating, if we are getting the right kind of diet or not. The same goes for pets. Obviously the needs are different for us and for pets but it is as it is more important and it is as close to what you get at your home. It is all we do in Fresh For Paws, it is a ready to eat meal and it’s a balanced diet which a lot of pet parents can’t make on their own because they don’t know what goes into it.

Could you share some insights into the specific ingredients and the meticulous process that goes into preparing each meal for pets at Fresh For Paws? 

We prepare small batches to make sure that the quality of the ingredients is intact and I personally supervise the whole process to make sure the quality of the ingredients remains consistent. We also make sure we blend it with protein, the main source of protein in the recipe are fruits, vegetables and herbs to make it a complete diet.

You are a certified canine nutritionist. How has this expertise influenced the development of your pet food recipes? What do you consider the most important aspects of a pet’s diet? 

See, the most important aspect is actually to look at the protein and the fat content in the diet because that is where the pets get their energy. Like us, pets don’t need carbs to get their energy and the carbs should be the most minimal in their diet. So obviously when I was learning about pet food and as a pet parent also for so many years I knew about all these things but I wasn’t very well aware that you know how you balance it out. 

When I studied canine nutrition it just widened my horizon on how to actually make a kind of recipe that will help pets at large. So all the recipes that Fresh For Paws make are not for something specific but it is something which is very general that will suit maximum of the pets because we use very hypoallergenic ingredients. 

So 99.9% of pets can have Fresh For Paws until and unless they have a medical issue or some specific issue or some specific allergy, that’s all that we do to make sure that we can feed it to a larger audience.

Fresh For Paws emphasises the use of high quality proteins and nutrient rich vegetables and fruits, right? What are some of the key ingredients you believe are essential for a well-balanced diet? 

See, the meat, the percentage of protein that you put like I shared and the fat percentage are the main things that constitute in the diet and apart from that are the micronutrients, the minerals, vitamins that come into play. 

So to balance those out obviously we add a lot of plant-based protein, we add dairy protein, we add meat-based protein, which is also a source of healthy fats. Then we work with a lot of herbs and fruits and veggies to make sure that you know it is complete as it is and we don’t have to add any external vitamins or synthetic vitamins or anything artificial to make it a complete diet. 

Could you elaborate on the importance of avoiding fillers and offering grain free options in your pet food. What benefits do these choices provide for pets? 

Over the years I have seen pets are largely allergic to grains. So that’s why we chose to not put grains in their diet. And as it is grains like wheat, rice, they are also a very big source of carbs which in turn don’t easily break down in your digestive system. So that’s why we chose not to put grains or any fillers in our products and they also tend to make the cost cheaper. Hence to make it easily digestible, we chose to let the grains out.

What are the challenges you faced during this time and how did you overcome them? 

Being from a commerce background and learning everything which is science related was really tricky but obviously my motivation to help at large really helped me do it. And yes, entering a new industry about which I had no idea, I did not know anyone who and I was very young when I started the brand, all those things were an obstacle but I think my determination to just make it work has, you know, made me go to all the lengths to make Fresh For Paws where it is today. I think now Fresh For Paws is a very well-known brand in the industry and had I not been very determined at that time, I wouldn’t have reached here. 

What sets Fresh For Paws apart from other pet food brands in the market? What unique qualities do your products offer to pet parents? 

The quality of ingredients and the quality of food that we provide is unmatchable. I feel so and I have heard this from a lot of pet parents also that whatever we do, they don’t usually get it in the market and we provide a lot of variants for their pets to choose from so that their pets are not bored and they can keep rotating the protein.

Could you tell which products are the most favourite amongst pet parents? 

I think the meat based recipes and the peanut butter are our star products, because vegetarian meals are very dynamic, it depends on the pet at the end of the day if they are happy to have it or not. Hence, our meat variants, our meal toppers and our peanut butter are our star products.

Can you describe the process of meal preparation, delivery and portioning for pets and how it simplifies the feeding routine for pet owners? 

It is so convenient, we have a meal to meal concept. So we have meals which are 100gm meals and 300gm meals which are suitable according to the pet’s needs. 

A small dog would obviously go for a 100gm meal and it is a one time meal. So all you have to do is steer it and give it to the pet. All the pet parent has to do is just tear the packet and give it straight in their bowl. So it’s very convenient for them and it’s on the go. So they don’t have to worry what the pet is actually having. 

We are also 100% transparent about whatever we put. If you open the pack, you can actually see whatever ingredients are there, and it’s actually there. Whatever is on the pack, you can actually see it in the food. So I think that has really helped us gain a lot of confidence from pet parents. It’s also very easy and it’s shelf stable and hence so easy to manage.

Fresh For Paws is known for its convenient, lightweight and easy to carry packaging. How has this aspect made a difference for pet parents, especially those who are always on the go? 

Like I just said, these days, everybody is so caught up in their life and work-life balance is very difficult to maintain. So I think after Covid, a lot of pet parents are more aware about their pet’s nutritional needs.

So if they get something which is so easy for them, they are also assured that their pet is getting the right kind of meal. So I think that is where we help them to get their pet the right kind of meal and they trust us that is why they are opting for it.

Could you share some success stories or testimonials from pet parents who have seen positive changes in their pet’s health or behaviour after switching to your products? 

I think the biggest testimony is my own pet Vanilla. She eats Fresh For Paws only since we started and before that also I have only been seeing what all she is having. So I think that’s the biggest testimony for our brand that my own pet is a living testimony of my work that I’ve done. 

She’s 17 years old but we only introduce things that Vanilla likes. If she likes it then I distribute it around among my friends and other pet parents who are very regular consumers to get their feedback. But the first one to try out the recipe is always her.

How do you envision the future for Fresh For Paws? Are there any new products or initiatives in the pipeline that our readers should be excited about? 

We are working on a few new recipes, but since we just recently revamped, like last September, we just want to make sure that one step is a little sorted. 

But we are always working on new recipes, so I am looking forward to launching something by the end of this year. And we are also looking to expand in the global market.

Can you share a bit about the team behind Fresh For Paws and their roles in bringing your vision to life? 

So when I started it was me, one woman army. And right now we also have a very small team. For production we have a small team which takes care of basically who makes the food and I supervise the process. 

And then we have a 4-5 people team, main core team and apart from that we have a social media team. So yes, we are a very small team that you know just helps me get through the day. 

Lastly, what message or advice would you like to convey to our readers who are passionate pet lovers or maybe pet parents and maybe considering making more informed choices about their pet’s nutrition, especially being a certified nutritionist. 

I feel that when you are getting a pet, just be sure that you are getting a whole new responsibility and if you are ready to take that responsibility, please make sure that you are actually giving them the right kind of food because that is very crucial to maintain their health in the long run and if you don’t take care of them right now, it will just cause you and them also problems in their later years. 

Like a lot of dogs are prone to arthritis so if you overfeed them it will just cause you a lot of pain at the end of a few years. And apart from that, I really feel that pet parents should be more aware about what they should be feeding their pets. Because I know a lot of it comes out of love, but maybe a lot of times what we are feeding them and what we are eating might not be really good for our pets. Not everything that we eat is suitable for your pets. So just be careful about what you are feeding them.