World’s first cultivated meat pet food hits UK shelves

Pet owners can now indulge their dogs with a revolutionary treat, as Meatly brings the world’s first cultivated meat pet food onto UK shelves. The launch, in collaboration with plant-based dog food brand THE PACK, sees a limited release of “Chick Bites” now available at Pets at Home in Brentford, London.

The innovative dog treats combine plant-based ingredients with Meatly’s cultivated chicken, offering a nutritious, sustainable alternative to traditional pet food. Pets can now enjoy the same great-tasting meat they crave without the environmental and ethical concerns associated with conventional meat production.

Meatly’s Founding CEO, Owen Ensor, hailed the launch as a historic moment for both the cultivated meat sector and the pet food industry. “We’re incredibly excited to introduce cultivated meat to the pet world. Just two years ago, this felt like a moon shot. Today, we take off,” he said. “It’s a giant leap forward – toward a significant market for meat which is healthy, sustainable and kind to our planet and other animals.”

Meatly produces the cultivated chicken by taking a single sample of cells from a chicken egg, from which it grows enough meat to feed pets indefinitely. Meatly Chicken is nutritionally comparable to traditional chicken breast, containing essential amino acids, fatty acids, minerals and vitamins vital for pet health.

The future of pet care

As one of Meatly’s key investors, Pets at Home is the first retailer globally to sell pet food made from cultivated meat. The move aligns with its wider sustainability ambitions, with the company aiming to reduce the carbon, land and water footprint of pet food.

“At Pets at Home, we’re guided by our purpose to create a better world for pets and the people who love them, and that includes looking after our planet,” Anja Madsen, Chief Operating Officer at Pets at Home said.

“We’re also always looking to the future of pet care, and to make sure we’re developing and providing the products that matter to our customers. This innovation has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of pet food and will be a game-changer for the industry.”

THE PACK’s CEO and Co-Founder, Damien Clarkson, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the potential of cultivated meat to transform the sector. “The launch of our Chick Bites treats is a watershed moment for the pet food industry,” he said. “Cultivated meat offers a tasty, low-carbon, and healthy protein source, which has the potential to eliminate farmed animals from the pet food industry.”

Meatly plans to scale up production over the next three to five years, aiming to make cultivated meat pet food more widely available. With further collaborations planned with THE PACK and Pets at Home, this launch signals the beginning of a new era for sustainable pet nutrition.