When former Grove chef Kelly Fowler was asked to bake a birthday cake for a friend’s dog, she didn’t think twice about swapping her discerning diners for a discerning pooch - this, after all, was a woman who cooked for what is now considered one of the finest restaurants in Wales.
Fast forward two years and Kelly has ditched her chef’s whites in favour of a brand new cuisine culture which offers dogs throughout the UK some of the most exquisite, purely natural treats imaginable.
As well as a huge assortment of biscuits, canine connoisseurs can savour the dognuts doughnuts, the woofle waffles, the pupcake cupcakes and even a doggycake lollipop on a stick.
“It all naturally evolved over lockdown, after making that very first birthday cake for a friend’s dog,” explains Kelly during a rare break from the busy commercial kitchen which she runs with business partner, fellow baker and sister-in-law, Alli.
Needless to say, the birthday dog enjoyed every morsel of his potato and carrot cake.
This first venture made the sisters-in-law start considering setting up their own pet baking business.
Kelly’s experience in the top-end restaurant world coupled with Alli’s previous profession as a marketing manager in the hotel industry all pointed towards the creation of the Pembrokeshire Pet Bakery.
“When we started looking at the ingredients contained in most of the pet treats available on the high street, we realised that the amount of E-numbers and preservatives is appalling,” continued Kelly. “So we started experimenting with ingredient combinations and all sorts of different ideas using things like fresh coconut, loads of different vegetables, herbs, turmeric and chia seeds.
“Our main objective was to only use ingredients that have a natural value and which are good for the dogs, so for example our apple puree is organic and all the other ingredients are human grade and also dehydrated which means they only have a shelf life of ten weeks. Everything is totally natural and also 100 per cent vegan.”
Birthday cakes continue to be a huge favourite as well as 'Gotcha' cakes which are celebratory cakes eaten on the anniversary of when a dog first arrived in his or her new forever home.
“Naturally the cake will contain the dog’s name, usually on a biscuit, but we can also make it using whatever colour icing the owner may request. We’ve also baked celebration cakes with one half in pink and the other half in blue – one half for the girl and the other for the boy.”
Naturally all the icing used in the Pembrokeshire Pet Bakery treats is dog-friendly.
This weekend the Pembrokeshire Pet Bakery opened their new shop in Poolman Court, Pembroke Dock, sharing a unit with Raw4Dogs and the Shampooches grooming salon.
All the biscuits are lined up on a dresser in sweet-shop style along with a comprehensive list of ingredients and their respective health benefits.
The store is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm while all their products can be bought online and can be delivered throughout the UK. To view their website, visit www.petbakery.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here