Gone are the days when dogs hoped for leftover scraps from Sunday dinners; now, they are indulging in gourmet meals fit for royalty.

The latest luxurious offering for canine diets comes in the form of wagyu beef, provided by a subscription service specializing in “healthy raw pet food.”

This premium beef, known for its high price, is available for human consumption at retailers like Waitrose, where it costs around £16 per steak.

Scottish company Bella+Duke is at the forefront of this trend, delivering gourmet wagyu beef dog food to subscribers for an average of £60 each month.

Each meal is composed of 80% wagyu beef, which includes a blend of 50% meat, 14% tripe, 10% kidney and liver, and 6% trachea and bone. Additionally, the recipe features carrots, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, as well as blueberries, olive oil, “sustainable hand-harvested organic Scottish kelp,” chicory, beet pulp, algae, along with added vitamins and minerals.

Bella+Duke, which boasts a subscriber base of 40,000 pet owners, claims that the omega fatty acids found in wagyu promote shinier coats, reduced itching, and better skin health for dogs.

Tony Ottley, a co-founder of the company and owner of two dogs named Alfie and Teddy, suggests that wagyu beef could serve as a special treat for dogs during family meals. He emphasized the growing importance pet owners place on ensuring their dogs receive an optimal diet.

“Producing the wagyu meal costs us significantly more than our other offerings, which are priced at £3.50 each in stores. However, we believe it is worthwhile to provide our dogs with a splendid meal—this could easily be their special Sunday feast,” Ottley said.

Given the short time dogs are with us, he remarked, it is essential to make their mealtime enjoyable and engaging.

The production of the wagyu meal occurs in a facility that also supplies a leading UK supermarket with wagyu steaks. Ottley noted that they requested the incorporation of offal such as liver, kidney, tripe, and bones to create a nutritious meal. In nature, animals tend to seek out organs first, as they are nutrient-dense.

The UK pet food industry ranks as the second largest globally, valued at over £4.7 billion, a significant increase from £3.3 billion in 2022. The parcel delivery service Yodel reported that pet food deliveries have more than doubled since 2018.

Bella+Duke represents a shift towards more expensive meals emphasizing meat and vegetables rather than conventional dry kibbles.

In addition, James Middleton, brother to the Princess of Wales, launched the freeze-dried raw dog food brand James & Ella in 2020. His product, featuring raw grass-fed beef, costs £200 for a four-kilogram bag, claiming to last an average-sized dog about 19 days.

The Wildpack brand, owned by reality TV star Georgia Toffolo, offers venison snack bags for under £3.

Ottley expressed concerns regarding the health issues linked to heavily processed foods for dogs, such as obesity, diabetes, and dental problems. He stated, “Our raw feeding meals reflect what animals were originally designed to eat. Just as it would be inappropriate to feed a lion or a dolphin crackers, why should we treat dogs and cats any differently?”