Butternut Box Vs Different Dog: What’s The Difference?

Last Updated on December 29, 2023 by Kieran Beckles

Are you looking to ditch traditional dog foods in favour of fresh dog food but you can’t decide between Butternut Box and Different Dog?

There’s a lot of great fresh dog food brands in the UK offering dog owners the chance to feed fresh dog food meals to their pet whether you’ve got fussy dogs like my Alaskan Klee Kai or an older pet with underlying health issues.

I’ve had the chance to order from two of UK’s leading pet food companies and feed their fresh dog foods to Copper and Skye, see their freshly cooked meals firsthand, test out their subscription service and see the benefits of their meals to my Klee Kai.

Copper and Skye have eaten both Butternut Box and Different Dog during our stint in the UK and we’re going to so our experiences and insights as well as pick the best fresh dog food.

We like that both dog food delivery companies have gently cooked their healthy meals using human grade ingredients before shipping their freshly prepared dog food to your door.

Copper and Skye have been fussy eaters and we struggled for a while when it came to feeding them store-bought kibble but we made the switch to fresh pet food and we haven’t looked back in the past three years.

So with the introduction out of the way, let’s take a look at both Butternut Box and Different Dog to see how each fresh dog food delivery brand works and all their 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

Butternut Box are a fresh dog food company who have been providing high quality food to dogs since they started to operate in the UK in 2016.

Since launching their business, they’ve fed an incredible 100,000 dogs around these isles. Not bad! Butternut Box have an average rating of 4.8 stars based upon nearly 35,000 reviews on Trustpilot.

Butternut Box use human-quality ingredients in their pre portioned meals so you can feel confident that your dog’s diet comprises of human grade meat alongside fresh fruit and vegetables in gently cooked recipes formulated by veterinary nutritionists.

You won’t find any additives, nasties or other preservatives in Butternut Box’s meals. They formulate their human grade 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!). This fresh dog food brand continue to create new meat meals to keep even the fussiest dogs happy and excited about Butternut Box dog food.

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 such as any underlying health conditions or problems with your dog’s health.

Butternut Box will recommend certain fresh food meals for your four-legged friend based upon your answers, but you’re able to select any of the meat meals you want irrespective of their suggestions.

Butternut Box will portion your dog’s meals before they’re shipped directly to your door to make life easy for pet parents. There’s no preparation involved at mealtime, it’s as easy as rip-and-serve into your dog’s bowl.

Butternut Box have an eco-friendly approach to their fresh dog food 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.

They had a reputation for being one of the best fresh dog food brands in the UK and we wanted to see whether Butternut Box fresh food meals were worth the hype.

When we initially signed up, they had four different recipes on offer. At the time that number felt like a lot compared to other fresh dog food brands in the UK.

Copper and Skye enjoyed all four of human grade 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 including some grain free dog free, Copper and Skye are spoilt for choice. Their favourites are Pork This Way, Wham Bam Lamb and You’ve Got Game.

Seeing as my Klee Kai are picky eaters, I found in the past that they would grow bored of other dog foods. This didn’t happen with Butternut Box.

Copper and Skye would lick their bowls clean (a great sight to see if you’ve got fussy eaters). 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 fresh dog food in terms of 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, so we believe paying £70-80 a month for Butternut Box fresh dog food is a great investment.

Different Dog

Different Dog are another example of a fresh dog food company who offer freshly cooked meals that are made in their kitchen and delivered to your door.

Different Dog use freshly cooked 100% British meat in their recipes that have been designed by veterinary nutritionists and lovingly cooked to create premium fresh food meals.

Different Dog underline on their website that they don’t use grains, legumes or fillers in their dog food, which sets them apart from most fresh dog foods.

Different Dog use human grade ingredients such as high quality meat, fresh fruit and vegetables and superfoods in their human grade 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. It’s a thorough sign-up process to ensure they get your dog’s food just right.

Different Dog have 12 different recipes to choose, including some options from their Health+ range.

Different Dog offer a carbon-neutral delivery service to ensure your dog’s meals will get to your doorstep in an eco friendly way.

Different Dog use compostable packaging which is yet another way as a dog owner, 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 as we knew they were considered one of the best dog food brands in the UK.

There was little doubt that the Different Dog 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 with her Different Dog meals. She preferred Butternut Box.

While we could tell Different Dog’s meals were clearly made with human grade ingredients, we found Different Dog was more difficult to store in their freezer.

Different Dog use containers that were a slightly awkward shape that meant we had to invest in a small freezer for our dog food.

We also found that the Different Dog meal containers didn’t hold up great when defrosted and would become stained and messy in the fridge – however, they were more planet-friendly than plastic packaging.

Different Dog have an unrivaled range of recipes that is peerless amongst dog food companies in the UK (two more than BB).

We had to pay around £180 per month to feed Different Dog to our Alaskan Klee Kai, which makes their delivery service one of the more premium dog food brands that we’ve reviewed.

Butternut Box Vs Different Dog: Our Pick

While I believe you won’t go wrong with either of these fresh dog food companies, my top pick would be Butternut Box. Let me explain why I believe they provide the best fresh dog food service.

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 dog food delivery companies. 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.

Where To Buy Butternut Box?

For pet parents ready to give Butternut Box and their dog food delivery service a try, you can sign up to receive their fresh dog food through this link or the button below.

Do We Have Butternut Box Coupon Code Or Discount?

We reached out to Butternut Box to see if we could get a discount to Butternut Box offer our Life With Klee Kai community the chance to try their dog food.

I’m excited to share that new Butternut Box customers can save 50% on their first order and 50% on their second order via this link or the button below.

Where To Buy Different Dog?

Different Dog offer premium dog food that is only available through their website, you won’t find their meal packs at your local pet store or supermarket. To get started with Different Dog and their delivery service, you can click this link or the button below.

Do We Have Different Dog Coupon Code Or Discount?

We contacted Different Dog to secure a discount code for our Life With Klee Kai readers. They kindly shared an exclusive offer for our community.

You can save 40% on your first Different Dog box and 40% on your second Different Dog box when you use the coupon code “LWKKCC40” at the checkout.

If you want to Different Dog to be your dog’s new food and you want to make the saving, you’ll need to make sure you use “LWKKCC40” to get that discount.

Anything Else To Consider?

If you’re ready to make a dog diet change from traditional dog food to fresh dog food meals such as Butternut Box and Different Dog, or raw food, wet food or custom dry food, it’s a good idea to speak to your vet to get their input when it comes to making a successful transition to a healthy diet.

Alternatively, Butternut Box and Different Dog are two dog food delivery services who have great customer service to help pet parents navigate the best dog food for their pet. Whether you wan’t grain free dog food or even vegetarian meals such as Ready Steady Veggie, Butternut Box and Different Dog can help.

Wrapping Up – Our Conclusion

We’ve reached the end of our Butternut Box Vs Different Dog comparison dog food review.

If I was picking between the two dog food delivery companies, I’d go for Butternut Box.

In fact, at the time of writing this article, we were paying for Butternut Box meals (full disclosure, we have worked with both dog food delivery brands on a gifted arrangement in the past but these agreements have since expired).

Butternut Box offer over 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 4.8 stars based upon over 35,000 reviews on independent review website, Trustpilot. That’s a lot of happy dogs and happy pet owners using their dog food delivery service.

While Different Dog are another top dog food delivery service, but we rate Butternut Box slightly better and consider them to be the best dog food delivery company in the UK.

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.