Last Updated on September 13, 2023 by Kieran

Are you considering Butternut Box and Different Dog as two options for your dogs but you’re not sure which is better?

Well, Copper and Skye have eaten Butternut Box and Different Dog so we’re in a position to share our experiences and insights.

What we like about both dog food companies is their fresh approach to dog nutrition when compared to some other traditional formats.

Copper and Skye have been fussy eaters and we struggled for a while when it came to feeding them store-bought kibble.

However, we made the switch to balanced and complete meals and we haven’t looked back in the past three years.

Copper and Skye have been happy and healthy with minimal trips to the vet apart from their annual boosters.

Credit goes to fresh dog food companies like Butternut Box and Different Dog for this remarkable change in their health.

So let’s take a look at both Butternut Box and Different Dog to see how each company works and what recipes they’ve got on offer.

(Cut to the chase: We recommend Butternut Box and you can save 50% on your first order and 50% off your second order by clicking here).

Butternut Box

Website: butternutbox.com

Butternut Box are a fresh dog food company who have been operating in the United Kingdom since 2016. Since launching their business, they’ve fed an incredible 100,000 dogs around these isles. Not bad! Butternut Box use human-quality ingredients in their recipes so you can feel confident that your dog is enjoying high-quality meat alongside fresh fruit and vegetables. You won’t find any additives, nasties or other preservatives in Butternut Box’s meals. They formulate their meals with the help of vets and pet nutritionists, so you can have peace of mind that Butternut Box’s meals are balanced and complete. Since we first tried Butternut Box, they’ve grown their range of recipes from four to 10 (which is something we really love!). Butternut Box ask dog owners to fill out their sign-up questionnaire so they can get to know your dog, their eating habits, exercise levels and any other relevant information you might like to share. They’ll recommend meals for your four-legged friend based upon your answers, but you’re able to select any of the meals you want irrespective of their suggestions. Butternut Box will portion your dog’s meals before they’re shipped directly to your door. There’s no preparation involved at mealtime, it’s as easy as rip-and-serve. Butternut Box have an eco-friendly approach to their business – they use recyclable packaging so you can feed your dog healthy meals and feel good about doing your bit for the environment too!

Our Experience

When we initially made the switch from kibble to fresh dog meals, Butternut Box were our first choice. When we initially signed up, they had four different recipes on offer. At the time that number felt like a lot. Copper and Skye enjoyed all four of the recipes and it was great to be able to rotate the recipes to keep my dogs stimulated at mealtime. Now that they’ve got 10 recipes, Copper and Skye are spoilt for choice. Their favourites are Pork This Way, Wham Bam Lamb and You’ve Got Game. Seeing as they’re picky eaters, I found in the past that they would grow bored of their meals. This didn’t happen with Butternut Box. Copper and Skye would lick their bowls clean (a great sight to see). While your Butternut Box meals will take up a shelf in your freezer, you can alter your deliveries to come every 2 or 4 weeks depending on your personal preference. It goes without saying less deliveries will result in a cheaper overall price. We opt for a delivery every month and find it works well for us. Of all the dog food delivery companies that we’ve tried, I believe Butternut Box represents the best overall value considering the quality of the food and the price. Copper and Skye continue to devour their meals without hesitation and they’ve never been healthier!

To help you along your way, you can save 50% on your first Butternut Box order and 50% on your second Butternut Box order when you click here or below. So you're effectively getting a free box over the course of two orders and it gives you an opportunity to give Butternut Box for a significant amount of time to see if your dog likes their new food.

Different Dog

Website: differentdog.com

Different Dog are another example of a dog food company who offer freshly cooked meals that are made in their kitchen and delivered to your door. They use freshly cooked 100% British meat in their recipes that have been designed by nutritionists. Different Dog underline on their website that they don’t use grains, legumes or fillers in their recipes. Different Dog use meat, fresh fruit and vegetables and superfoods in their recipes that are taste-tested by their team. Just like Butternut Box, you’ve to fill out a questionnaire so Different Dog can learn more about your dog. They have 12 different recipes to choose, including some options from their Health+ range. Different Dog’s carbon-neutral deliveries will ensure your dog’s meals will get to your doorstep in an environmentally-friendly way. They use compostable packaging which is yet another way you can do your bit for the planet. Different Dog are keen to emphasise their high nutritional rating on their website when pitted against other brands in the country, including Butternut Box.

Our Experience

We took a break from feeding Butternut Box for around eight months at the end of 2021 and 2022. Butternut Box had a temporary issue that delayed one of our boxes so we contacted Different Dog to give them a try. There was little doubt that their meals looked and tasted like the real thing (yes, I did have a taste seeing as their website says they taste test their meals). Copper was equally as passionate about his Different Dog meals as he was his Butternut Box meals – lots of tail wagging. Skye is the pickier of the two and surprisingly her mealtime excitement did diminish ever-so-slightly. She preferred Butternut Box. While we could tell Different Dog’s meals were clearly top quality, they did prove more difficult to store in their freezer. They were a slightly awkward shape that meant we had to invest in a small freezer for our dog food. We also found that the boxes didn’t hold up great when defrosted and would become stained – however, they were more planet-friendly than the plastic packaging used by Butternut Box. Different Dog have an unrivaled range of recipes that is peerless amongst dog food companies in the UK (two more than BB).

Butternut Box Vs Different Dog: Our Pick

While I believe you won’t go wrong with either of these companies, my top pick would be Butternut Box. Here’s why:

Firstly, Butternut Box won the taste test. Not my taste test – but Skye’s taste test. As I mentioned above, Copper was equally happy with both brands. But he’s more food motivated than Skye. We’ve experienced a lot of issues with Skye and her pickiness in the past with dog food. So she was the real litmus test. Skye has never refused any of her Butternut Box meals irrespective of the recipe. This wasn’t the case with Different Dog as she turned her nose up at some meals.

I found it much easier to store Butternut Box than Different Dog. Butternut Box freeze their meals in plastic packaging that can typically be stored in one of your freezer shelves. They slot in nicely. Different Dog use rectangular cardboard packaging that isn’t as seamless to store. I had to invest in a second freezer in order to slot in all their meals (and that was just two weeks’ worth of food). So my second reason for opting for Butternut Box over Different Dog would be the storage factor.

Lastly, I consider Butternut Box to represent better overall value. Different Dog offer premium dog food but it’s at a more premium price. They appear to have worked to bring that price down over the years since we first encountered this high-quality dog food company. But it’s still significantly more than Butternut Box. If you’re feeding multiple dogs or if you’ve got a large breed, you might really feel the pinch in your pocket. Butternut Box still cost more than your average dog food brand at your local supermarket, but it’s a more affordable price.

Wrapping Up – Our Conclusion

If I was picking between the two dog food companies, I’d go for Butternut Box. In fact, at the time of writing, we’re paying for Butternut Box meals (we have worked with both brands on a gifted arrangement in the past but these agreements have since expired).

Butternut Box offer 10 different recipes that are customized to meet your dog’s specific needs. Not only that, they’re easy to store in the freezer and defrost when it’s time to serve to your dog. They preparation process is as simple as rip-and-serve into their bowl.

They’ve got a great reputation for helping fussy or picky eaters – just like Skye. With an average rating of 4.9 stars based upon over 15,000 reviews on independent review website, Trustpilot. That’s a lot of happy dogs.

We can offer our followers and readers the chance to get 50% of your first box and 50% off your second box when you click here or the link below.