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Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness from the hit Netflix series ‘Queer Eye’ have ventured into new territory, co-founding the gourmet pet food brand ‘Yummers’ with Rebecca Frechette Rudisch (formerly Executive Vice President, Chief Merchandising, and Marketing Officer at Petco), which officially launched on September 15, 2022.
The grain-free, meat-first pet food toppers are focused on enhancing the pet’s meals (not intended to be fed in place of a cat or dog’s regular food) with premium mix-ins aimed to support an animal’s unique nutritional needs. The gourmet mix-ins target many functions to support, including digestion, skin and coat, hip and joint, heart health and calming needs. Fourteen varieties of freeze-dried single-ingredient proteins and tender morsels are available, including flavours such as chicken, cheddar cheese, beef liver, salmon and sweet potato, and turkey and cranberry.
The concept was built on the founder’s passion and desire to support their pet’s dietary needs. Jonathan Van Ness became interested in the venture when their adopted cats presented digestive issues, which have now developed into the creation of the specific digestive mix-in. They are also passionate about creating a sustainability plan for the company and have been involved in creating its sustainable packaging and shipping policies.
Being a celebrity cook and food expert, Antoni Porowski took it upon himself during the pandemic to experiment with meal topper flavours for his adopted dog and now focuses on the ingredients, texture and size of the mix-ins. Antoni explained his adopted dog ‘Neon’ is extremely high-energy, and therefore needs lots of protein – inspiring the protein mix-in. Neon appears on the packaging of all dog products, whilst Van Ness’ oldest cat ‘Larry’ appears on all of the cat products.
All recipes are manufactured in the US, with locally sourced ingredients. The pet food company is striving for sustainability with their 30% post-consumer recycled packaging, and compostable printing inks. These steps serve as a demonstration of ‘Yummers’ commitment to doing their bit to reduce landfill waste and contribute to a sustainable pet food industry.
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