FAQ

We use the larvae from the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens). As one of nature’s most efficient up-cyclers, these grubs are a much-needed sustainable protein source for an ever-expanding human population as well as all our furry friends. What’s amazing is that, in one year, a single acre of black soldier fly larvae can produce more protein than 3,000 acres of cattle. Each grub is effectively a little protein powerhouse.

We feed our grubs on organic plant-based matter. This process is incredibly efficient and requires a fraction of the land area and water that traditional livestock would need. It’s also completely zero waste.

UK and EU legislation permits the inclusion of insect protein in pet diets and the British Veterinary Association (BVA) recognises the potential contribution of insect protein in addressing the rising need for sustainable human food and animal feed.

You betcha – insect protein is one of the most sustainable protein sources on the planet. Compared to poultry, for example, farming insects emits 75 per cent less carbon dioxide and uses half as much water. We can raise one ton of insects in three weeks using a land area of 20 square meters and 30 litres of water. And because insects are fed on plant-based organic matter, they’re a huge contributor to the circular economy (which means that nothing gets wasted, ever). 

Our insects come from the great folks over at Protix [https://www.protix.eu] and Better Origin [https://betterorigin.co.uk/]. They both have world-leading insect farming facilities in the Netherlands and UK, respectively, and are leading the global charge to reduce the impact livestock farming has on climate change and animal welfare.

Yes! As a novel source of protein, insect protein is hypoallergenic, which is great news for itchy skin and sensitive tummies. Food allergies are estimated to account for approximately 10-15% of allergic skin disease in dogs. Dogs who have skin allergies can show the following signs:

• Itchy skin
• Ear infections
• Watery eyes
• Anal gland issues

To find out whether your dog has a food allergy or intolerance, the most effective approach is to undertake an elimination diet trial (EDT) - this is where Grub Club can come in. An EDT means feeding a novel (new) protein source to your dog, and our key ingredient of black soldier fly larvae is ideal as most dogs will have not eaten this before so it is naturally hypoallergenic. Although you’re likely to see results sooner, it’s really important to continue the diet trial for at least 8 weeks to determine whether the dietary change has had an effect on your dog’s skin allergies. You must also only feed one type of food/diet during the trial period, as introducing other snacks/treats/diets will introduce other ingredients that they could potentially react to.

For more information on elimination diets, check out our blog article on this topic here: https://mygrubclub.com/blogs/pet-welfare/the-ultimate-guide-to-elimination-diets-for-dogs-finding-relief-for-food-allergies

To find out whether your dog has a food allergy or intolerance, the most effective approach is to undertake an elimination diet trial (EDT) - this is where Grub Club can come in. An EDT means feeding a novel (new) protein source to your dog, and our key ingredient of black soldier fly larvae is ideal as most dogs will have not eaten this before so it is naturally hypoallergenic. Although you’re likely to see results sooner, it’s really important to continue the diet trial for at least 8 weeks to determine whether the dietary change has had an effect on your dog’s skin allergies. You must also only feed one type of food/diet during the trial period, as introducing other snacks/treats/diets will introduce other ingredients that they could potentially react to.

Absolutely. All Grub Club food is approved by vets and loved by dogs! We’ve developed all of our products with the help of internal and external vets and animal nutritionists to ensure we provide quality, research-backed nutrition to all of our Grub Cluubers.

While insects are consumed regularly around the world, it’s still a relatively new concept in western diets so we get it, a lot of us are wondering what they taste like! Our insect protein has a malty, nutty taste. Our founder Hugh describes it as a mix between a “mushroomy, nutty, Horlicksy” aroma and taste.

YES! You can find Grub Club in Pets at Home, Planet Organic, Daylesford Organic, Gladwell’s Country & Pet Stores, and a range of independent stores across the UK.

Grub Club treats and food are made in the UK. This ensures we have full transparency over the supply chain, high quality assurances, and of course, a limit on the amount of emissions from transportation. Our dental sticks are made in The Republic of Ireland.

Our dry food is steamed under pressure at 120 degrees Celsius for 1-2 minutes. Thereafter, it is cooked at 130 degrees for 20 minutes. Despite what’s commonly referred to as “extreme temperatures that destroy nutrients,” these temperatures are much lower than what we, humans, typically cook our own food at in our ovens or on our stoves. Our wet food is steam cooked at a maximum of 120 degrees and then gently cooled to room temperature where it can be stored.

Not at all. Our treats are hexagonal biscuits that are baked in wood-fired, carbon neutral ovens. The insect protein that goes into our treat recipes is powdered, so you won’t see anything remotely insect-like. Our dental sticks look like every other dental stick you’ve seen out there – just yummier and chewier! The same goes for our dry and wet food – nothing remotely insect-looking.

Yes! All of our packaging is 100% recyclable. Please check with your local council for how to best recycle your Grub Club packaging. 

Yes! We’ve partnered with some of the UK’s leading vets and animal nutritionists to test over 30 different recipes and ensure that our food is nutritionally complete and tasty. Our food contains everything your dog needs to be happy and healthy. It’s got all the protein, healthy fats, nutrients, and minerals your dog needs to thrive, and nothing else!Please check out our feeding guide on the website or back of pack as a guide to how much Grub Club your dog needs each day.

Great question! It’s best to introduce Grub Club food over the course of 7-10 days. Start with around 20-25% Grub Club mixed with the existing food and gradually increase this over the course of a week or so until your dog is eventually 100% on the Grub Club train! If you’d prefer to take a bit longer to transition, that’s also completely fine – every dog is different so feel free to approach the transition time as you see fit. A lot of our customers with more sensitive pups have found that an extended transition of a couple weeks has made life a lot easier in terms of adjusting to the new diet.

Yes. Even though we’ve seen great nutritional value in ingredients like oats, we’ve chosen to stick to grain free to make sure as many of our furry friends can enjoy Grub Club without any upset tummies. 

Grub Club is grain free, meaning that it does not contain wheat, oats, barley or rice. Instead, the carbohydrate source we use is largely based on sweet potato and lentils. Our reasoning for this is that these types of carbohydrates seem to be more easily digestible for dogs and provide more nutritional value in terms of their fibre content.

DCM (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) is a condition where the chambers of the heart become enlarged and its muscular walls become thinner and weaker. There has been research into  a potential link between grain free diets and DCM, which is something that we have been taking seriously as a company and evaluating all available evidence. As it stands, the FDA has stated that there is not sufficient data to establish a causal relationship between grain free diets and DCM. Our veterinary team is constantly staying up to date with the latest research and developments, but we are confident that based on the evidence currently available that Grub Club is a nutritionally complete and safe diet for dogs.

For dogs with pancreatitis, a low fat diet is usually advised long term. A dietary fat content of 10-15% is the general recommendation but for more severe cases, it may be more appropriate to aim for less than 10%. However, every case is different and there are various factors involved in risk factors for pancreatitis. As a result, we would recommend that you discuss any dietary changes with your vet and always remember to introduce new diets slowly over 10-14 days.

1. Digestibility

Various clinical studies and scientific trials have been carried out in relation to the digestibility of insect based pet food, with overwhelmingly positive results. In general, it appears that insect based pet food is well tolerated and digested by the majority of dogs. As black soldier fly larve are rich in fatty acids, protein and minerals, they offer a balanced nutritional profile. Additionally, the fibre content of Grub Club is supportive of good digestive health and helps to support a healthy gut microbiome.

2. Antimicrobial Peptides

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an interesting developing area of research. Black soldier fly larvae have been shown to contain high levels of AMPs, which have naturally antibacterial properties and may help to promote a healthy microbiome by reducing levels of harmful bacteria.

There have been recent studies looking into the effect of hypoallergenic diets on the management of epilepsy. Although these studies are mostly focused on humans currently, small scale veterinary studies have had similar results, which suggests that a hypoallergenic diet may be beneficial in reducing the frequency of seizures. This is thought to be linked to decreased inflammation. As always, we recommend discussing any dietary changes with your vet and it’s important to emphasise that diet is a consideration alongside (not instead of) regular veterinary check-ups and prescription medication where required.

If your dog has experienced weight loss or gain since switching to Grub Club, this may be because they were consuming more or less calories on their previous diet. This could be due to differences in the amount/volume of food they are consuming, or alternatively that their previous diet was more or less calorie-dense. Depending on your dog’s body condition, weight changes may or may not be an outcome you wish to achieve. We would recommend asking your vet to assess your dog’s body condition, and they will be able to advise on whether weight loss or gain would be beneficial. If you find that your dog is losing weight unintentionally on Grub Club, please consult your vet for advice. It may be the case that the quantity of food needs to be increased but it’s also important to rule out other causes of weight loss if that’s something you’ve noticed in your dog. If you’d like to chat to our vet or nutrition team as a first point of call, please get in touch.

When changing diets, it is relatively common to see a change in bowel habits, water intake and flatulence. However, introducing the new diet gradually can help to reduce these symptoms. Grub Club contains more fibre (crude fibre: 4%) than the typical raw food diet - as a result, you may see that your dog poops more frequently or that they are larger. This is usually a positive change, as regular bowel movements are a sign of a healthy gastrointestinal tract. However, if you’re finding that the frequency is too high or your dog’s poops are soft or watery, please discuss this with your vet.

When changing diets, it is relatively common to see a change in bowel habits, water intake and flatulence. However, introducing the new diet gradually can help to reduce these symptoms. Raw food diets tend to have a much higher water content (60-80%) than kibble based (usually approximately 10%). As a result, it is normal and expected that your dog will drink more water to compensate for the reduced intake in the food. However, if you feel that your dog is drinking excessively or is showing other signs of being unwell, then this may be a sign that they are unwell so please discuss this with your vet.

When changing diets, it is relatively common to see a change in bowel habits, water intake and flatulence. However, introducing the new diet gradually can help to reduce these symptoms. Introducing a new diet means that your dog’s digestive system needs to adjust to the new food. Different amounts of fibre and introducing new proteins can cause temporarily increased wind during the adaptation period, but if this persists for more than a few weeks or is excessive then it may mean that adjustments are necessary.

Just like us humans, dogs love different tastes, smells, and textures. Therefore, we decided to develop a soft-baked treat that’s slightly wetter and chewier than your average dog biscuit. We’ve included some yummy ingredients like banana, blueberries, kale, and spirulina to make sure they’re not only deliciously chewy but also super nutritious – a real reward for good boys and girls!

It really depends on your treating habits, the rest of your dog’s diet, his/her activity level, and size. That said, we wouldn’t recommend more than 8-10 treats per day unless someone’s been exceedingly good – even more than usual. 

Yes. Our subscriptions all come with a lifetime discount of 10% on every order. We often also run promotions for the first subscription order too so look out for those. Subscribers also earn double the amount of loyalty points for every pound spent on site. Our subscriptions are 100% flexible so you can pause, change, or cancel at any time with no fees so you get all the flexibility of ordering when you like with the added benefit of lifetime discounts and double loyalty points.

This is often the case when an account has not been created. Please make sure you’ve created an account on our site with the same email address linked to your subscription. Once you create an account, you will be able to manage your subscription and make any changes that you might need. If you’re still having trouble, please reach out to the team via email, phone, or whatsapp and we’re more than happy to help.

Please log in to your account. Then access the settings on your account page and select ‘manage my subscription’. From there you can choose to adjust your delivery dates or cancel altogether. 

Please refer to our Refund Policy on site for more information. You can find a link to this in the footer menu of our website.

Shipping is free for any order above £39. Shipping rates are £3.99 for 2-3 day tracked delivery, Monday to Saturday until 9pm. There may be surcharges if consignments are out of gauge, require re-delivery, or are in hard to reach areas (e.g. Scottish Highlands, off-shore UK, etc.)

Subscription purchases will follow our standard shipping policy and should be delivered within 3-4 days of the subscription payment. Please keep this in mind when scheduling your subscription orders as the date you schedule your subscription for is the date your order is processed and dispatched by our warehouse team. You will need to allow a few days after this for delivery to occur so we always advise people to keep a buffer of food to avoid any issues.

Yes! You’ll get an email 4 days before any subscription order is processed to ensure you have enough time to make any changes that you might need. We’d also highly recommend signing up to our SMS reminder service where you receive a text message 4 days before your subscription is processed, which also allows you manage your subscription via text. You can sign up to SMS reminders here: https://mygrubclub.com/pages/subscription-reminders