NatWest Bring it 2020 has provided £500 of match funding
Herts Barkery
Hoddesdon, England, United Kingdom
Aim
Herts Barkery - Looking to take our operation to the next level and expand on the existing product range!
I’m Stephanie and I live in Hertfordshire, famous for its historical estates, and beautiful countryside. Coming from a family filled with dogs I know that they are very important members of the family. My dog relies on me to take care of him and make sure that he eats the right food and treats. If left to him, Archie would have fast food chicken nuggets every night for dinner! I’ve made his own treats using natural ingredients and therefore do not contain any additives or preservatives and it all grew from there. I started making extra for others that I met up with on dog walks and then dogs at our training sessions. Eventually I started getting requests from friends of friends and decided to turn my dream into a reality.
Life will never provide warranties and guarantees. It can only provide possibilities and opportunities, it’s up to us to convert them into success. I love baking and I’m lucky enough that I’ve discovered my passion. I took the plunge and followed my heart which has led me to form Herts Barkery. When you find something that you are passionate about and enjoy then I believe that you should put your all into it if you want to succeed. Even if there are hiccups along the way, they help make you stronger.
Proud supporter of Heathlands Animal Sanctuary, Blue Cross Rehoming Centre, Guide Dogs, Battersea and the National Trust.
Herts Barkery is based in the kitchen of my home where I make meals for my family (both humans and dogs) and it satisfies the same rigorous safety, cleanliness and uncompromising quality standards of people food. All of the products are made fresh to order using quality natural human grade ingredients. I don’t plan to make or sell anything that I won’t be able to eat myself. There is no added sugar, salt, chemicals, preservatives, additives or artificial colour in any of the products. All of our customers can shop with confidence knowing that we love their pets and want them to be as healthy and happy as possible!
We even have a customer loyalty point scheme in place to reward customers!
Currently, the biggest hurdle is upfront costs. I have chosen to raise funds through the community to help keep prices as accessible and affordable as possible. For a domestic premises to be approved it needs to have clear and defined separation for human and pet consumption. This is achieved by using dedicated kitchen tools, work area, storage area etc. Everything that we use within Herts Barkery will be for the business and business only. This is to safeguard both human and animal health. Regulations require that anyone involved in food handling must be appropriately trained in food safety and I have attained Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene for Manufacturing. Funds will be used for additional baking supplies, equipment, materials, postage, packaging, marketing, photography and also cover crowdfunder fee’s. I’d also like to expand on my training to gain a Level 3 in Food Safety & Hygiene for Manufacturing. You can never have too much training in an area!
The pet food industry is highly regulated and there are lots of legal implications of making pet foods at home, including the need for registration and approval. Herts Barkery is currently registered with trading standards under the EC Feed Hygiene Regulation 183/2005 and The Feed (Hygiene and Enforcement)(England) Regulations 2005 for category R6 - Manufacturing of pet foods. Our registration number is GB154E0715.
We are looking to expand our current product range and require approval by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to approve our domestic premises where pet food uses or incorporates products of animal origin such as eggs, meat, honey etc.
There are strict rules regarding the separation of the pet food ingredients from food still intended for human consumption in order to safeguard both human and animal health and quality control including Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP - feed-safety management system). There is also stringent labelling, presentation and packaging requirements, including analytical declarations which involve microbiological testing at a UKAS-accredited laboratory.
Funds will be used to work with a Food Safety Consultant, assist with inspection costs, analytical declarations and laboratory sample testing.
If you have any questions about the rewards, please contact me by email at [email protected] and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have.
Vouchers
The website is now up and running and new products will be added on a monthly basis! You'll be able to use your voucher online.
- Pledge £10 and receive a discount voucher giving you 10% off your order
- Pledge £20 and receive a discount voucher giving you 25% off your order
- All vouchers will be emailed across as a high-res digital e-voucher that can be printed or emailed.
- Valid until 31st December 2020
Gift Hampers
- Pledge £50 and receive a medium gift hamper filled with our favourite products!
- Pledge £70 and receive a large gift hamper filled with our favourite products!
- We are aiming to have a presence at a minimum of two events per month. To name a few, we have our eye on the Hertfordshire County Show, Lee Valley Country Fair, Welwyn Garden City Craft Market, Hitchin Market, Hertford Castle Market, Knebworth House Christmas Fair, Hatfield House Christmas Market, London Discover Dogs, The Ideal Home Show, National Pet Show and many more!
- Increase the existing product line to 30-35 products
To keep up-to-date with us, visit our website and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you for your support!
This project successfully funded on 30th March 2020