Naturaw Pet Food has secured a six-figure investment from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II), managed by Mercia Debt Finance, to expand its production capacity. The funding will be used to equip the company’s new 15,000-square-foot facility at Wetherby’s Thorp Arch Estate, which doubles the company’s production floorspace.
The company, known for supplying raw pet food in the UK, has grown rapidly since its founding in 2014. Naturaw’s workforce has almost doubled in the last 18 months, increasing from 18 to 35 employees. The business was also awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of its sustainable development efforts.
Founded by Jess Warneken, the company began after her Rhodesian Ridgeback, Louis, showed health improvements from a fresh meat-based diet. Since then, Naturaw has expanded its product range to more than 20 recipes, all produced, packaged, and distributed from its Wetherby location.
Warneken stated that the new facility is crucial to meet rising demand and to support continued business growth. With the additional investment, the company aims to scale its operations further while also maintaining to using plastic-free packaging.
