One year of healthy paws: Raw dog food specialist near Battle marks anniversary

Tracy Hudson owns the business, which specialises in raw food and natural treats for dogs, as well as bones, chews, and a range of frozen treats.

Tracy said: "I have wanted to open my own raw food shop for some time and was gifted the means to do so by my late honorary mother. My background is very varied, from care, retail and NHS staff.

"I grew up finding solace in my pets' company and have watched so many in recent years suffer, get sick or not thrive. We found raw feeding over 20 years ago, 2 of our dogs were always in the vets having treatments, specialist foods and every test available, and still not being well. Once I discovered raw as a way to feed them, it became a part of my family's and pets' lives. Since then, my dogs have gone from strength to strength and are the healthiest I could wish for."

She explains that raw food consists of raw meats, bones, and vegetables. The preparation is similar to how we handle our own food, so it's important to clean the work surfaces afterwards, just as we would after cutting raw chicken.

She added: "Since opening, my client growth has been phenomenal and I am truly honoured to say that we are growing every week. I have made some lovely acquaintances and friends, and, of course, get to have snuggles with so many of the 4-legged visitors. I flatly refuse to sell anything that is not a natural product and strive to find the best treats and feeds that I can.

"Being based at Wylands is a total dream, the venue is so beautiful, the other business tenants are really friendly, and we are a real community. We all champion and support one another. There are so many benefits to being here, and no work day is ever a chore."

The store offers a wide range of natural products from brands like Stobart, Durham Animal Feeds, Natural Instinct, Fur Baby Nutrition, and Naturaw. Customers can choose between do-it-yourself meals and complete meals based on their preferences.

Talking about the future, she added: "We plan on helping support and promote more independent businesses in-store, build my own business so that we can ship across the UK by going online and build the delivery service. I strongly believe we have lost the importance of local independent shops and stores, and I really think we need to take back a little slice of the community we used to have. We can shop online and have no connection, or we can shop local and actually see those who work hard to bring you the best.

"But the end sentence must be: Regardless of what you feed, feed the best you can because a fed dog is better than a hungry one."

You can visit the store's website at https://www.diamondrawfood.com/