Butternut Box Dog Food Review & Ratings

Butternut Box is the best-known fresh-cooked subscription in the UK, and the score data broadly backs the reputation. Across 24 rated recipes it averages 71/100 (Good), ranking 177 of 290 brands, led by Butternut Box Wham Bam Lamb at 92/100.

The spread of 49 points between 43 and 92 is the thing to understand before you subscribe. It is not evidence of a weak recipe hiding in the range - it is mostly what happens when a meat-free option sits in the same lineup as meat ones. Our score leans hard on named animal protein and declared meat percentages, so a plant-based recipe is always going to land lower on it, whatever you think of the ethics or how well your dog does on it.

The genuine advantage of fresh-cooked food is the label. Recipes are short, ingredients are recognisable, and the meat is named and quantified, which is exactly what our score rewards and exactly what most kibble bags avoid doing. You are paying for that transparency as much as for the cooking.

The genuine cost is money and freezer space. Fresh food is priced per portion against your dog's weight, so a large dog changes the sums considerably, and every pouch needs storing frozen. Work out the monthly figure for your actual dog before the trial discount lapses.

If the budget works, this is a strong choice. Just pick the recipe on its own page rather than assuming the whole range is equivalent.