My Take on DOG CHEF: Is It a True Alternative to Regular Kibble?

When I got my dog, I did a lot of research to find out what the best feeding options were, to ensure he had good health and a happy life. During my research, I quickly found out that veterinarians recommended home-cooked meals: this means preparing meals for your pet using fresh ingredients.

However, it seemed quite complex and time-consuming to set up. So, I switched between various brands of premium kibble until I recently stumbled upon the concept of Dog Chef, which prepares high-quality home-cooked meals for our dogs and delivers them to our doorstep. Let me share my experience over the past three months with this service!

What is Dog Chef?

Dog chef

Source: dogchef.com

DOG CHEF - PREMIUM DOG FOOD DELIVERED TO YOUR DOORSTEP
Concept

Fresh, balanced, and healthy home-cooked meals for your dog, delivered right to your home.

Options
  • Full meal plan: Dog Chef takes care of all your dog's meals,
  • Half meal plan: You pair Dog Chef (in smaller portions) with another food option.
Sample Menus
  • Pork
  • Chicken
  • Beef
  • Duck
  • Fish

āž• Green beans, rice, carrots, parsnips, celery, fruits... depending on the chosen recipe.

Pricing

šŸ’° Starting from around S$2.80 per day for the full meal plan

šŸ’° Starting from S$2.00 per day for the half meal plan

(Pricing is for a dog weighing 8 to 11 kilograms. Prices may vary based on your dog's size.)

Factors Considered in Meal Preparation

Based on the dog's weight, whether it's male or female, if it's neutered, its activity level, breed...

Delivery Fees

Free and flexible delivery

    CommitmentNo

    šŸ‘ I loved it

    • The quality of these meals,
    • The time savings offered by Dog Chef,
    • The convenient and easy-to-store individual packaging,
    • The delivery scheduling, so you never run out,
    • The cheaper trial offer,
    • The option to alternate with regular kibble to save a bit on costs.

    āŒ What Could Be Improved

    • It would be great to include a grain-free option for the chicken or pork recipes, for example.
    • It's a bit unclear that the first order automatically starts a subscription (which can be cancelled immediately without any issues). I was caught off guard!

    dog chef my account

    Source: dogchef.com

    How Does Dog Chef Work?

    Dog Chef aims to be straightforward and user-friendly. The goal is to reduce the mental load of managing your dog's meals, while providing it with home-cooked style food.

    When you sign up, you will need to fill out a questionnaire about your dog, which will help to customise the amount of food needed for your furry friend.

    Next, you will have a selection of balanced recipes to choose from. Finally, you can pick the date and location for delivery, so you can receive your groceries wherever you prefer (home, work, at a relative's place...).

    croquette dog chef

    Source: dogchef.com

    When you place your first order, you are automatically subscribed to receive a new order once the current one has been consumed. If this doesn’t interest you, you can easily unsubscribe at no cost and quickly through your Dog Chef account or the app.

    How is my dog’s menu created?

    The menu offered for your dog has been designed by Dog Chef and reviewed, then approved, by veterinary nutritionists.

    The recommended quantity and scents will depend on:

    • The age of your dog (puppy, adult, senior),
    • Whether it's a male or female,
    • Its weight,
    • Whether it is neutered or not,
    • Its daily activity level (fairly relaxed, active, sporty),
    • Any potential health issues (digestive problems, allergies...).

    Dog chef recipe

    Source: dogchef.com

    Is there a commitment with Dog Chef?

    No, Dog Chef is commitment-free. When you place your first order, it initiates a subscription, which you can cancel anytime with just one click from your account dashboard.

    Dog Chef subscription

    Source: dogchef.com

    Where can I get the Dog Chef book?

    Dog Chef products are delivered to mainland France (excluding Corsica), Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Germany.

    🌓 If you're going on holiday, you can temporarily change your shipping address or reschedule your delivery. To find out how, check out this tutorial video that shows you the steps!

    How does delivery work at Dog Chef?

    You can have the items delivered to a location of your choice: at home, at work, or even to a friend's place who can keep the products refrigerated until you’re able to pick them up.

    Since this is a delivery of cooked meals, Dog Chef ensures that there is a strict adherence to the cold chain. The meals are transported in refrigerated vans or in insulated boxes.

    Dog chef delivery

    Source: dogchef.com

    To ensure that you can receive your order and cool it down quickly, you have the option to choose the day and time slot for your delivery. It’s very convenient!

    šŸ‘‰ If you're a subscriber and still have plenty of food left, you can postpone your next delivery from your account, as long as it hasn't been paid for or confirmed via email yet.

    Is it possible to order Dog Chef for multiple dogs?

    Yes! You’ll even get a discount. If you want to add a dog, just create a profile for your first dog first, which will set up your account.

    how much does a dog chef cost

    Source: dogchef.com

    Once you have an account, you can add a dog by logging in and going to the section "MY BOX". On the page that appears, near the title "FAMILY", you will see a button "NEW DOG". By clicking on it, you'll have access to the personalised questionnaire for a new dog.

    What to Expect When Ordering from Dog Chef?

    When I bought my first Dog Chef meal plans, I had no idea what the meals I ordered would be like. However, it's always nice to have some information before placing an order online. So here's a preview of Dog Chef products!

    Dog Chef chien

    Source: dogchef.com

    What menus are available?

    Dog Chef offers 5 recipes, all free from preservatives and colorings. Here are the available flavours:

    • Chicken,
    • Beef,
    • Pork,
    • Duck,
    • Fish.

    Each type of meat makes up about 50% of the meal. In addition to that, we add vegetables and fruits, and sometimes a bit of grains for dogs that need it. Some of the ingredients used to prepare Dog Chef meals include items like mealworms, carrots, parsnips, celeriac... as well as apples, rice, or oils (sardine oil, vegetable oils).

    Dog chef cooking

    Source: dogchef.com

    What Does a Dog Chef Meal Look Like?

    The meals come conveniently packaged in hermetically sealed sausage-shaped bags. Each flavor is easy to identify by the corresponding packaging color. They should be kept refrigerated and opened only when feeding your dog.

    dog chef

    Source: dogchef.com

    šŸ‘‰ Meals can be kept in the fridge for 7 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months. To thaw, the easiest way is to take the portion out 24 hours in advance and let it sit in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can use a double boiler or the microwave.

    šŸ“… Once a meal is opened, it can be kept for a maximum of 3 days in the refrigerator!

    5 Things to Know About Dog Chef Menus

    In the following lines, I'm sharing cfive essential things to know about Dog Chef before placing your order!

    They Are Created by Veterinarians

    All Dog Chef recipes are developed and overseen by qualified veterinary nutritionists. They ensure that each recipe is balanced, particularly in terms of the vitamins and minerals included in every meal.

    Dog chef veterinary review

    Source: dogchef.com

    šŸ‘‰ They make sure that the hypoallergenic recipes are truly hypoallergenic!

    Dog Chef is for all dogs

    No matter what type of dog you have, there's definitely a Dog Chef menu that suits them. I've recommended Dog Chef to friends and family who have a puppy or a senior dog, as the menus are designed to cater to their needs too!

    dog chef puppy

    Source: dogchef.com

    Dog Chef Offers Grain-Free Menus

    All Dog-Chef menus are gluten-free. Moreover, the recipe with duck is specially formulated to be grain-free.

    Dog Chef offers you hypoallergenic menus

    When I placed my order for the first time, I was really interested in this aspect, as my dog tends to have allergies. So, I was delighted to see that Dog Chef offers two hypoallergenic recipes (duck and fish).

    dog chef veterinarian

    About the Dog Chef duck recipe, gluten-free, hypoallergenic, and grain-free

    Source: dogchef.com

    You get a discount if you have multiple dogs!

    If you have multiple dogs, Dog Chef automatically applies a discount. To create their profile, simply log in to your account under the "My Box" section and click on "New Dog".

    How much does Dog Chef cost?

    The price of Dog Chef depends on your dog's needs, based on their size and characteristics. For full board, it typically ranges from about SGD 3 to SGD 8 per day, while for half board, the rates are more around SGD 2 to SGD 6 per day.

    dog chef prix

    Feel free to use the price estimation tool available on the Dog Chef homepage to get a customised quote!

    Source: dogchef.com

    What is the price of Dog Chef?

    Here are some price indications obtained using the Dog Chef calculator tool:

    ProductPrice per day / full board without discountPrice per day / half board without discount
    Dog weighing 5 kilogramsS$3.12S$2.34
    Dog weighing approximately 10 kilogramsS$4.16S$3.01
    Dog weighing approximately 20 kilogramsS$7.29S$3.85
    Dog weighing approximately 40 kilogramsS$9.19S$5.16

    Are there any shipping fees with Dog Chef?

    Shipping fees are free as they are included in the price!

    Discover Dog Chef with a 15-day trial at 20% off!

    If you've just signed up, Dog Chef is offering you a special discount of 20% on all its menus for 15 days of meals. This discount on your first order is really great and will be applied automatically. There's nothing you need to do!

    dog chef discount code

    Source: dogchef.com

    šŸ¤‘ For example, for a 10-kilogram dog on full board, you pay S$1.98 per day instead of S$2.47, which saves you about S$7 in total!

    Save more with an ongoing 15% off full-board packages!

    If you choose the full board option, Dog Chef automatically offers a 15% discount on the total price of their food, by weight. Personally, I opted for a half board as it’s more budget-friendly, but I think this option is really appealing if you have a picky dog or if you really want to feed them only homemade meals.

    Can I gift Dog Chef to someone?

    At the moment, Dog Chef does not yet offer a gift card system. Do feel free to check back when you read this review, as it might have changed!

    Helmut the Dog Chef

    Source: dogchef.com

    It's still possible to give Dog Chef meal sets, but this will be done by directly giving the recipient the corresponding amount of money!

    What do customers think about Dog Chef?

    Reading customer reviews helps you understand the quality of an online service and know what to expect when you place an order. To save you time, I've put together a summary of the reviews available online about Dog Chef.

    On Google

    Dog Chef highlights its numerous positive Google reviews on its website homepage. The average rating is very good, standing at 4.5 out of 5, based on a total of 811 reviews as of now.

    dog chef customer review

    Source: google.com

    Let's explore the feedback from Dog Chef customers together:

    šŸ’š Customers loved it
    • The punctuality of the delivery,
    • The convenience of the portions,
    • The quality of the food,
    • The clarity of the instructions,
    • The good digestibility of the food,

    Positive feedback for dog chef

    Positive review from Dog Chef customer posted on Google

    āŒ They enjoyed it less

    • Occasional issues with cold chain break that may occur,
    • Prices can be quite high.

    Dog chef negative review

    Mixed reviews from customers about Dog Chef posted on Google

    On Facebook

    The company DogChef also displays customer reviews on its website from Facebook, where the average rating is 4.9 out of 5. This score is based on 963 reviews.

    Dog chef avis

    Source: facebook.com

    Customers who have tried it are generally delighted with the appeal of the product. Their dogs are often eager to eat this food, which is great to see. They are therefore willing to pay for such high-quality products.

    The freshness of meals is also valued, as well as the fact that these meals are not fattening.

    customer review dog chef

    Source: Facebook.com

    Some customers may have experienced difficulties. There can be issues with dosage or delivery, but many customers have highlighted the responsiveness of the customer service.

    About Trustpilot

    It's finally possible to read over 300 reviews on the independent review platform Trustpilot. The average rating is very positive as well, standing at 4.8 out of 5, with very few reviews rated 1, 2, or 3 stars.

    Avis dog chef

    Source: Trustpilot.com

    No matter which platform you use, the reviews are generally very positive. Only a small minority have encountered issues, which can sometimes happen when ordering online. In these cases, Dog Chef's customer service is here to help!

    Dog Chef on Social Media

    Dog Chef places great importance on its presence on social media, regularly sharing its latest updates and tips for dog owners. You can find the brand on:

          šŸ‘‰ I also invite you to check out the Dog Chef YouTube channel, which offers lots of video tutorials to train your dog and understand its behaviour. It's fascinating!

          How to train your dog not to pull on the leash?

          Source: Youtube.com

          Is Dog Chef Really Reliable?

          Dog chef is the brand of the Belgian company Fresh chef SRL, which is based in Brussels. The project was launched in 2017 by its two founders: Alexis d'Oultremont and Alexandre Cardon.

          The company has since experienced significant success and currently employs over a hundred staff members, producing more than 40 tonnes of food each week. On average, it has 20,000 subscribed customers.

          Dog Chef story

          It is therefore a reliable company that is committed to offering quality products and ensuring customer satisfaction. To achieve this, they can be reached by phone, through live chat, and via email.

          The company also takes the time to personally respond to those who leave reviews on Google and Facebook, which shows its commitment to customer service.

          āœ… Given this information, you can order with confidence from Dog Chef. Although it’s a foreign brand, Belgium is near France, and the service aims to be top-notch.

          My verdict on Dog Chef ⭐⭐⭐⭐

          It has been over three months since I started testing Dog Chef with my dog, and I can now share my experience with these meals. Let me share my thoughts in the following sections!

          Dog chef my account

          Source: Instagram (@ruffoniofficial, @reallifeandheels, @seppethegolden)

          Was it easy to order from the Dog Chef website?

          The guided questionnaire is really handy and helps provide all the necessary information for creating my dog's personalised profile.

          Personally, I have a 5-year-old male Shetland Sheepdog who is neutered and quite calm. He has a sensitive stomach, and my vet advised me to prepare home-cooked meals for him, but I just haven't had the time to implement that.

          Dog Chef has really helped me save a lot of time, as the first order takes about ten minutes, and after that, it’s just a matter of waiting for the delivery.

          dogchef review

          Source: Instagram (@cavalouis_, @marli_thedachshund, @schipperke_chef)

          How did the delivery of Dog Chef meals go?

          The delivery was carried out by a specialised courier, as it was always done using a refrigerated van. I appreciated being able to choose the exact date and time for the delivery, so I could plan accordingly.

          During the holidays, it’s really convenient to be able to postpone your delivery or have it sent to your home. Personally, I prefer to give my dog only kibble during the holidays because it’s easier.

          avis dogchef

          Source: Instagram (@schipperke_chef, @taiga_husky_siberien, @maisondepaws)

          Are Dog Chef's menus as high-quality as they claim?

          It's quite simple: my dog loves Dog Chef meals! He never leaves a crumb in his bowl, even though I do a half-and-half mix with premium kibbles.

          I've never had issues with spoiled products and the meals smell fantastic... much better than regular canned dog food!

          Since my dog is sensitive, I feed him the hypoallergenic grain-free duck menu, along with premium grain-free kibble. He tolerates these foods very well.

          chef dog

          Source: Facebook.com

          I find it a bit unfortunate that there’s only the duck menu that is both hypoallergenic and grain-free. It would be great to offer another option for variety!

          Is the subscription worth it?

          The subscription is really convenient. It allows you to never run out of food without having to think about it. Since it's flexible and doesn't require a commitment, you can easily postpone or cancel your next delivery. For me, it's truly a hassle-free and practical solution.

          The only thing is that it automatically activates with the first order, and even though you can cancel it right away from your account, I would have preferred if it was more clearly stated.

          dog chef avis prix

          Source: Instagram (@dogchef_fr)

          āœ… To summarise, I'm really pleased with the meals I've been getting for my dog from Dog Chef. They're well-balanced and my fur baby is healthy! I'm looking forward to them offering more hypoallergenic and grain-free recipes to mix up his daily menu. 😊

          Frequently Asked Questions about Dog Chef: I’m answering YOUR questions!

          Lastly, here are some frequently asked questions online about Dog Chef, along with their answers! 😊

          What do veterinarians think about Dog Chef? šŸ‘©ā€āš•ļø

          Most veterinarians encourage dog owners to feed their pets home-cooked meals, as these are better for their health in both the short and long term. Dog Chef offers fresh and balanced meals, which is a great option if you don't have the time to cook for your pet.

          Is there a referral system at Dog Chef?

          Yes! This allows you to enjoy great discounts while also doing some good. In fact, every referral unlocks the following bonuses:

          • - 30% off the first order of your referral,
          • S$30 discount for every person you refer,
          • S$5 donated to a shelter by Dog Chef.

          Dog chef sponsorship

          Source: Dogchef.com

          šŸ‘‰ To refer someone, it's really easy: just get the code available on your Dog Chef account. If you can't find the code, your referral can simply mention your name and email address in addition to their order, to enjoy the discount and enable you to get your $30 off!

          How to Get a Dog Chef Promo Code? šŸ¤‘

          At the moment, the code WOUF30 gives you a 30% discount on your first order. If this code is no longer valid when you try it, you still have the welcome offer of 20% off that applies automatically!

          There's also the referral offer where you can get 30% off if you're referred, or receive €30 if you refer someone close to you.

          How to Contact Dog Chef by Phone? šŸ“ž

          You can call Dog Chef at 03 39 88 00 54 (or +33339880054) for free during the following hours:

          • On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 8 AM to 6 PM,
          • On Wednesdays from 8 AM to 4 PM,
          • On Saturdays and public holidays from 9 AM to 4 PM.

          šŸ’¬ If you prefer to contact Dog Chef in writing, you can also use:

          dog chef telephone

          Dog Chef Phone Advisors

          Source: Dogchef.com

          How to Cancel Your Dog Chef Subscription?

          To cancel your subscription, simply log in to your customer account on the Dog Chef website and submit your cancellation request.

          If you simply prefer to postpone it, that's also possible by clicking on the postpone option.

          šŸ‘‰ If this seems complicated, feel free to contact Dog Chef directly using any of the methods mentioned above.

          I hope my experience and the research I’ve done on Dog Chef have helped you to find the perfect food for your dog! Feel free to reach out to me or leave a comment if you have any feedback or questions. šŸ˜‰

          Found my review helpful and curious if DOG CHEF is a genuine alternative to kibble? Visit the Official DOG CHEF Website