What assurance can you give me about quality and food safety?Updated 17 days ago

Great question — and one we love answering. At Years, food safety and quality aren't an afterthought; they're baked into every single step of how we make your pup's meals, from ingredient sourcing right through to the tray landing on your doorstep.

🏭 Made in Our Own Kitchen — By Us

Every meal is made right here in Years' own Nottinghamshire kitchen. We don't outsource production or rely on third-party manufacturers — which means we have complete, end-to-end control over every step of the process. No cutting corners. No surprises. Just us, your dog's food, and very high standards.

🧑‍🍳 Highest Quality Ingredients Only

We source all our ingredients from the human food chain. That means:

🥩 60% prime cuts of meat or fish (think matured steak and skinless chicken thighs — the good stuff)

🌿 Vibrant vegetables, fruits, seeds, herbs, and botanicals — all recognisable, all real

🚫 Zero by-products, fillers, or mystery ingredients

✅ No added colours, flavours, or preservatives — ever

If it's not good enough for a human kitchen, it doesn't make it into ours.

🔬 Formulated by a Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionist in conjunction with Luke our very own (luxury) Head Chef

Every Years recipe has been developed in collaboration with a Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionist — the gold standard in animal nutrition science. This isn't just a sticker on the box. It means our recipes are rigorously reviewed to ensure they're safe, balanced, and genuinely beneficial for your dog's long-term health.

🔥 Steam-Cooked for Safety and Nutrition

We use a gentle steam-cooking method in sealed, airtight trays. This process does two important things at once:

• 🛡️ Eliminates harmful bacteria and pathogens — making every meal safe to serve straight from the tray
• 💪 Preserves nutrients, flavour, and aromas — so your pup gets the maximum goodness from every ingredient
• 🧫 Regular microbiological testing, including sampling for bacteria such as salmonella, carried out to verify every product line meets safety standards before it reaches your dog's bowl
• 📦 Full ingredient traceability throughout production, storage, and distribution — we know exactly where every ingredient comes from and where it ends up

Our new recyclable trays also improve steam distribution throughout the tray, cutting cooking time by 63% — which means even better retention of delicate micronutrients.

📦 Shelf-Stable by Design — No Preservatives Needed

Because of our steam-cooking and airtight sealing process, Years meals are naturally shelf-stable for up to 3 months unopened — with absolutely no need for artificial preservatives. Once opened, meals stay fresh in the fridge for up to 7 days. Safe food storage, sorted.

🌾 Grain-Free and Gluten-Free

We use quinoa and buckwheat instead of wheat or corn — keeping every recipe grain-free and gluten-free. Better for sensitive tummies, and a cleaner ingredient list you can actually read and understand.