A raw dog food manufacturer in Wetherby has become the first of its kind in the world to be awarded a prestigious B-Corp certification.

Naturaw, based at Thorp Arch, has spent the last 18 months undergoing a rigorous audit from B-Lab, the global nonprofit network that awards the B-Corp certification.

B-Corp certifications are given to businesses that meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

Jess Warneken, who co-founded Naturaw in 2014 from a background in organic farming, said:

“With the greenwashing and marketing jargon, commonplace today it can be difficult to work out the good from the bad. B-Corp certification offers reassurance to the ever more conscious consumer that we aren’t full of hot air.

“We don’t just use emotive words like ‘ethical’ and ‘sustainable’ without proper substantiation. We don’t have policies we dip in and out of hoping people won’t notice.

“We stick to them, all day every day, not just when it suits. B-Corp certification feels like the ultimate recognition of our team’s relentless commitment over the last few years and the way we conduct ourselves as a business.”

Jess added:

“The B-Corp audit really does look into everything with a fine tooth comb, from the British suppliers of our ingredients and the welfare standards they maintain, to the sourcing and manufacture of our industry leading plastic free packaging.

“The way we treat our staff – we’re proud to be a Real Living Wage employer – our customers and our community. The assessment pores over everything meticulously to make sure everything is exactly as we claim.”

Naturaw Director Chris Broadbent added:

“We’re chuffed to bits because B-Corp is recognised worldwide as being the creme de la creme of credentials.

“Gaining this certification is not just a tick in a box at the end of a process, moreover, we will be constantly working on improvement over the coming years to go through reassessment in 2025 to retain our certification.

“The process provides us with a clear roadmap for improvement around positive sustainable and social practices that we can implement to continually strive to be better.”

Naturaw started out as a business inspired by its founders own dogs Louis and Ada, and in a relatively short period of time have undergone rapid organic growth.

With 13 million dogs in the UK and £1.59 Billion being spent on feeding them, Naturaw has seen sales continue to climb year on year across all channels with 50% growth in the last 12 months alone.

Jess said:

“Ultimately B-Corp certification means our purpose is to use Naturaw as a force for good to affect positive change in the world and put our planet and our people before solely pursuing profit.

“We are proud to be different, to be innovative and to continue to raise the bar for raw dog food.

“We are a business driven by our principles first and foremost, whatever it takes, because we passionately believe it is the right thing to do.”

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