The Trials and Triumphs of Rapid Growth in the Raw Pet Food Market

Clayton sits down with Ben McIntyre, the CEO and founder of Mersey Raw, one of the UK's fastest-growing raw food companies. They delve into the evolution of the raw pet food industry, discussing Ben's journey from feeding his own dogs a raw diet to establishing a successful business that prioritises quality and innovation. The conversation covers the challenges of scaling a rapidly growing company, the importance of education in the raw feeding community, and the unique products Mersey Raw offers, including unusual proteins like goat and rabbit.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Growth of the Raw Food Industry: The raw food market for pets has seen significant growth over the past 10 to 15 years, with a strong community of passionate advocates who believe in the benefits of raw diets for dogs. Personal Journey into Raw Feeding: The founder's journey into raw feeding began with personal experiences of feeding his own dogs a raw diet, leading to a deeper understanding of the nutritional benefits and the desire to create high-quality raw food products. Challenges of Scaling: Rapid growth in the business has led to challenges in logistics, production capacity, and staffing.  Unique Product Offerings: The company differentiates itself by offering a variety of unique proteins and products, such as rabbit and goat, which are not commonly found in the market.    BEST MOMENTS "I think the message should be spread with love. I don't think we should be shaming people." - Ben  "The quality of the products speak for themselves. We are on the money in that sense." - Ben  "It's hard to get ahead of it. You know, at some times, I don't think people quite understand what goes into it." - Ben  "If you go to them and say, look, I want your help setting us up, they'll help you." - Clayton   HOST BIO Clayton Payne is an industry veteran of three decades of working in the pet industry. Brought up working in his parents' pet store, Clayton has seen the industry evolve over five different decades and has been on the cutting edge of the industry since the nineties. Building pet businesses from scratch, establishing multi-national distribution chains and having worked in every aspect of the industry, Clayton has a rare insight into the Pet Industry that is rivalled by few.  Clayton has been the spearhead of many of the industry's changes and has introduced numerous new concepts to market with a trail of success behind him. He has worked in numerous countries within the pet industry, speaks four different languages and has established both import and export relationships on all continents (excluding Antarctica). As well as being COO of one of the UKs fastest growing insect technology companies, Clayton is a Pet industry consultant who has consulted for many household brands and delivers sales training to pet trade professionals. https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-payne-a6772244/ https://www.tiktok.com/@petbusinessdisruptors https://www.youtube.com/@PetBusinessDisruptors