“A real point of difference”

Interzoo is coming up soon in Nuremberg. What do you expect in terms of new pro­ducts and trends in dog and cat food?
In terms of dog and cat food, we expect to see a continuation of the trend towards natural, grain-free products with new and existing brands launching lines into this sector.
What goals has Wagg Foods set itself for its exhibition attendance?
We will be highlighting our new ranges of cat treats at the exhibition and will be presenting these to new and existing customers at the show. Our Harringtons premium range offers a real point of difference in both food and treats and our main goal for the exhibition will be to increase our export customer base on this brand.
Interzoo also offers the chance to network with key operators in our industry and we will be focused on fully utilising this unique opportunity.

How have sales developed for your company in the first few months of this year in your domestic market and with regard to exports?
Sales of both our brands (Wagg & Harringtons) continued to grow in the first few months of 2014 and with the recent investments in our plants in North Yorkshire and North Wales, we hope to fully realise the benefits of our capital investments during the remainder of the year.
Your company has been very successful in the export market with Harringtons. Which target markets are you currently focusing on?
Harringtons offers retailers a range of premium foods and treats for dogs, cats and small animals. All the products are manufactured in house using our state of the art production facilities. Therefore, we feel that this brand offers retailers throughout all export markets a unique opportunity to stock a product range that is truly different from our competition. We believe that the opportunity to export Harringtons is global so we will not be limiting our efforts to any one export market.
Your company exhibited new treats at PATS Sandown. What is special about these products?
At PATS we launched new ranges of cat treats, which we manufacture in our factory in North Wales. All the treats, including these new cat ranges, are oven-baked rather than extruded. Oven baking at moderate temperatures actually enhances the flavour and texture of the product and removes the need to add any further artificial palatability…