My Thoughts on DOG CHEF: A Real Alternative to Traditional Kibble?

When I got my dog, I spent a lot of time researching what the best option for his diet would be to ensure he has good health and a happy life. Through my research, I quickly discovered that vets recommend a home-cooked diet: this involves preparing meals for your pet using fresh ingredients.

However, I found it complex and time-consuming to set up. I switched between various premium pet food brands, until I recently discovered the concept of Dog Chef, which cooks real, high-quality homemade meals for our pets and delivers them straight to our doorstep. Let me share my experience over the last three months with this service!

What is a Dog Chef?

Source: dogchef.com

👍 I Loved It

• The quality of these meals,
• The time saving provided by Dog Chef,
• The convenient and easy-to-store individual packaging,
• The delivery scheduling, so you never miss out,
• The cheaper trial offer,
• The ability to alternate with traditional kibble to save a bit on costs.

❌ What Could Be Improved

• It would be great to include a grain-free option for the chicken or pork recipes, for instance.
• The fact that the first order automatically starts a subscription (which can be cancelled immediately without hassle) is not very clear. I was caught off guard!

Source: dogchef.com

How Does Dog Chef Work?

Dog Chef is designed to be really simple and intuitive. The aim is to reduce the mental burden associated with managing your dog’s meals, while providing them with home-cooked style food.

When you sign up, you'll need to complete a questionnaire about your dog, which will help tailor the amount of food required for them.

Then you will have the choice of several balanced recipes. Finally, you can select the date and location for delivery, so you can receive your food right where you want it (home, work, at a friend's place...).

Source: dogchef.com

When you place your first order, you are automatically subscribed to receive a new order once the previous 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 via the app.

How is my dog's menu created?

The menu offered for your dog has been created 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 is a male or female,
• Its weight,
• Whether it is neutered or not,
• Its daily routine (calm, active, sporty),
• Any potential health issues (digestive problems, allergies...).

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 that you can cancel at any time with just one click from your customer account.

Source: dogchef.com

Where can you find the Dog Chef book?

Dog Chef products are shipped 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, be sure to check out this tutorial video that shows you how to do it!

How does delivery work at Dog Chef?

You can have your delivery sent to your chosen location: at home, at work, or even to a friend or family member's place who can keep the products cool until you come to pick them up.

As 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 thermal containers.

Source: dogchef.com

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

👉 If you're a subscriber and still have plenty of food left, you can postpone your next delivery from your client area, 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! This even gives you the right to a discount. If you want to add a dog, you just need to first create a profile for your first dog, which will set up an account for you.

Source: dogchef.com

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

What to Expect When Ordering from Dog Chef?

When I bought my first Dog Chef meals, I had no idea what the dishes I was ordering would look like. However, it's always nice to have a bit of information before placing an order online. So here’s a overview of Dog Chef products!

Source: dogchef.com

What menus are on offer?

Dog Chef offers 5 recipes, all free from preservatives and colourants. The available flavours are as follows:

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

Every meal consists of around 50% meat. This is complemented by vegetables and fruits, and sometimes a small amount of grains for dogs that need it. Some of the ingredients used in Dog Chef meals include items such as mealworms, carrots, parsnip, celeriac... as well as apples, rice, or oils (sardine oil, vegetable oils).

Source: dogchef.com

What does a Dog Chef meal look like?

The meals are conveniently packaged in hermetically sealed sausage-shaped bags. Each flavour is easily identifiable by the colour of its packaging. They should be stored in a cool place and only opened when it's time to feed your dog.

Source: dogchef.com

👉 Meals can be kept in the fridge for 7 days and in the freezer for 4 months. To defrost, the easiest method is to take the portion out 24 hours beforehand and let it sit in the fridge. Alternatively, you can use a double boiler or the microwave.

📅 Once a meal is opened, it can be stored for a maximum of 3 days in the refrigerator!

5 Things to Know About Dog Chef Menus

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

They are created by veterinarians

All Dog Chef recipes are developed and regulated by qualified veterinary nutritionists. They ensure that the recipes are balanced, paying particular attention to the amount of vitamins and minerals in each dish.

Source: dogchef.com

👉 They ensure that the hypoallergenic recipes are truly hypoallergenic!

Dog Chef is designed for all dogs

No matter what your dog's profile is, there’s definitely a Dog Chef menu that’s right for them. I’ve particularly recommended Dog Chef to people around me who have a puppy or a senior dog, as their menus are tailored to suit those needs too!

Source: dogchef.com

Dog Chef Offers Grain-Free Menus

All Dog-Chef menus are gluten-free. Additionally, the duck recipe is specifically made without grains.

Dog Chef offers you hypoallergenic menus

When I ordered 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).

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 from your account in the "My Box" section, and click on "New Dog".

How much does Dog Chef cost?

The cost of Dog Chef is determined by your dog's needs, depending on their size and characteristics. For full board, it typically ranges from R40 to R100 per day, while for half board, prices are generally between R25 and R70 per day.

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:

Are there shipping fees at Dog Chef?

Shipping is free as it is 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 an exclusive discount of 20% on all its menus for 15 days of meals. This discount on your first order is fantastic and will be applied automatically. You don't have to do a thing!

Source: dogchef.com

🤑 For example, for a dog weighing 10 kilograms in full boarding, you pay R38.50 per day instead of R48.00, saving you about R140 in total!

Save on Full Board at -15% for Life!

If you choose the full board option, Dog Chef automatically applies a 15% discount on the total price of their food, based on weight. Personally, I opted for half board because it's more affordable, but I think this option is really appealing if you have a fussy dog or if you really want to feed them exclusively with home-cooked meals.

Can I gift Dog Chef to someone?

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

Source: dogchef.com

It is still possible to offer Dog Chef menus, but this will be done by directly providing the corresponding amount of money to the recipient of the gift!

What do customers think of Dog Chef?

Reading customer reviews gives you an insight into the quality of an online service and helps you know what to expect when placing an order. To save you time, I’ve put together a summary of the reviews found online about Dog Chef.

On Google

Dog Chef highlights its numerous positive Google reviews on the homepage of its website. The average rating is excellent, sitting at 4.5 out of 5, based on a total of 811 reviews to date.

Source: google.com

Let's explore together what Dog Chef's customers have to say:

• The punctuality of the delivery,
• The practicality of the portion sizes,
• The quality of the food,
• The clarity of the instruction manuals,
• The good digestibility of the food,

Positive review from Dog Chef customer left on Google

❌ They enjoyed it less

• Occasional issues with breaking the cold chain that can arise,
• Prices can be quite high.

Client reviews on Dog Chef are rather mixed according to Google

On Facebook

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

Source: facebook.com

Customers who have tried it are generally thrilled with the appeal of the product. Their dogs often show a strong desire to eat this food, which is great to see. They are therefore willing to pay a premium for such quality products.

The freshness of meals is highly valued, along with the fact that they don't lead to weight gain.

Source: Facebook.com

Some customers may have encountered difficulties. There may be issues with dosage or delivery, but the responsiveness of customer service has been highlighted by several clients.

About Trustpilot

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

Source: Trustpilot.com

No matter the platform, the reviews are generally positive. Only a small minority have encountered issues, which can happen sometimes when ordering online. In such cases, Dog Chef's customer service is there to assist!

Dog Chef on Social Media

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

• Facebook,
• Instagram.

👉 I also invite you to check out the Dog Chef YouTube channel, which offers a host of video tutorials to train your dog and understand their behaviour. It’s fascinating!

How to teach your dog not to pull on the lead?

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 experienced significant success since then and currently employs over a hundred people, producing more than 40 tonnes of food each week. It has an average of 20,000 subscribed customers.

It is therefore a reliable company that is committed to offering quality products and satisfying its customers. To achieve this, it can be reached by phone, through live chat, and by email.

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

✅ With this information in mind, you can order confidently from Dog Chef. While it is indeed a foreign brand, Belgium is close to France and the service aims to be outstanding.

My verdict on Dog Chef ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It’s been over three months since I started testing Dog Chef with my dog, and I’m now ready to share my experience with these meals. Let me take you through my thoughts in the following sections!

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

Was it easy to order on the Dog Chef website?

The guided questionnaire is incredibly handy and provides all the necessary information to create a personalised profile for my dog.

Personally, I have a 5-year-old male Shetland sheepdog who has been neutered and is quite calm. He is rather sensitive when it comes to his digestion, and my vet had recommended homemade meals, but I just didn't have the time to prepare those.

Dog Chef has definitely helped me to save a massive amount of time, as the first order takes about ten minutes to prepare, and after that, all you have to do is wait for the delivery.

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

How did the Dog Chef meal delivery go?

The delivery was carried out by a specialised courier, using a refrigerated van each time. I appreciated being able to precisely choose the date and time of the delivery, allowing me to organise myself accordingly.

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

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

Are Dog Chef menus as high-quality as they claim to be?

It's quite simple: my dog loves Dog Chef meals! There isn't a crumb left in the bowl, even though I do a half-and-half mix with premium kibble.

I’ve never had an issue with spoiled products and the meals smell great... much better than standard dog food tins!

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

Source: Facebook.com

I find it quite unfortunate that there is only the duck menu that is both hypoallergenic and grain-free. It would be great to offer another option to alternate!

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 is flexible and commitment-free, you can easily postpone or cancel your next delivery. For me, it's truly a practical and hassle-free solution.

The only thing is that it automatically triggers with the very first order, and although you can cancel it immediately from your account, I would have preferred it to be more clearly stated.

Source: Instagram (@dogchef_fr)

✅ To sum up, I am really pleased with the meals I receive for my dog from Dog Chef. They are well-balanced and my furry friend is healthy! I'm looking forward to them offering more hypoallergenic and grain-free recipes to vary his daily menu. 😊

Dog Chef FAQs: Answering YOUR Questions!

To wrap things up, here are some frequently asked questions about Dog Chef, along with their answers! 😊

What do veterinarians think of Dog Chef? 👩‍⚕️

Most veterinarians encourage dog owners to feed their pets with 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 a good deed. Indeed, every sponsorship unlocks the following bonuses:

• - 30 % off the first order of your referral,
• R30 discount for each person you refer,
• R50 donated to a shelter by Dog Chef.

Source: Dogchef.com

👉 Sponsoring is very simple: just retrieve the code available on your Dog Chef account. If you can't find this code, the person you are sponsoring can simply mention your name and email address along with their order to benefit from the discount and ensure you receive your R600 discount!

How to find a Dog Chef promo code? 🤑

Right now, the code WOUF30 gives you 30% off your first order. If this code is no longer valid when you try it, you can still take advantage of the welcome offer of 20% off which applies automatically!

There is also a referral offer that allows you to receive 30% off if you are referred, or €30 if you refer someone close to you.

How to contact Dog Chef by phone? 📞

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

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

💬 If you prefer to contact Dog Chef in writing, you can also use:

• Live chat on the site by clicking on this link,
• Your regular email, by sending an email to: hello@dogchef.com.

Dog Chef Call Centre Advisors

Source: Dogchef.com

How to cancel your Dog Chef subscription?

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

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

👉 If this seems complicated, feel free to get in touch with Dog Chef directly using one of the methods mentioned above.

I hope that my experience and the research I’ve done on Dog Chef has helped you find the perfect food for your dog! Feel free to get in touch or leave a comment if you have any thoughts or questions. 😉