If you’re reading this magazine, you probably know the source of every ingredient on your plate. But what about the contents of your dog’s dish?
“Most commercial dog food is the equivalent of McDonald’s,” says Hanna Mandelbaum with an implied shudder that one might expect from the co-founder of Evermore Pet Food. “Ours is complete and balanced, and customers have told us that it has had nothing short of transformative effects on the health of their dogs.”
The Red Hook–based start-up grew from a canine-spurred friendship between Mandelbaum, a professional dog walker and trainer, and Alison Wiener, owner of both a beloved mutt and a degree from the Natural Gourmet Institute. “The combination of my health-food background and Hanna’s dog experience was too perfect to pass up,” explains Wiener. In 2009, the duo began cooking up batches up super-premium dog food made entirely from wholesome ingredients that read like the specials at Whole Foods: hormone-free Niman Ranch beef, Bell & Evans chicken, organic oats and barley, and locally grown kale, dandelion greens, blueberries and apples.
Sound like something you’d eat yourself? Indeed the team is so committed to their ingredients that they vowed to eat nothing but the dog food (and recipes made exclusively from the ingredients in it) for the month of March. “We eat a ton of it throughout the course of our business anyway,” shrugs Mandelbaum.
Locavore dogs are going green, but feline friends needn’t feel envy: The duo are currently working on a cat food recipe, while taking their time to fine-tune more flavors for Fido, including turkey and lamb. “The demand has been huge, so we want to make sure we’re doing everything right.” says Wiener. “I don’t want to say that our food is good enough to feed your dog every day without being damn sure of it.”
Evermore Pet Food is available at Court Street Grocers, District Dog Boutique & Spa, Woofs & Whiskers, and more. Each 24-ounce container sells for $12 to $15. For a full list of retailers visit ediblebrooklyn.com.
Photo credit: Noah Devereaux.
