Snellman taps into the ‘mature’ UK raw pet food market with new acquisition

Snellman Petfood has acquired UK-based raw pet food maker Benyfit Natural to grow its presence in Europe. The move marks the company’s first acquisition outside of the Nordic region.

Magnus Pettersson, Director of Snellman Petfood, tells GlobalPETS that Benyfit Natural offers a “scalable platform” with strong brand equity, digital capabilities and operational infrastructure

“It enables cross-branding opportunities with Snellman’s existing portfolio, including MUSH and Raw for Paw, and supports growth in both direct-to-consumer and retail channels,” he adds.

A growing market 

According to Pettersson, the UK pet food market is significantly larger and more mature than the Nordic market. Raw dog food, which is one of Snellman’s areas of expertise, already accounts for 12.9% of the UK’s total pet food market. The UK dog food market has also grown 5% since 2024.

“We have seen significant growth in the raw pet food market in Europe, growing exponentially faster than the wider pet category, and we have had plans to expand operations for some time,” says Pettersson. 

“Benyfit Natural is the perfect addition to us, aligning [with] our existing portfolio on both product and family business values.”

Operational insights 

Following the acquisition, Benyfit Natural will continue to operate under its own name, and its 20 employees will join the Snellman Petfood team. 

Greg Van Praagh, Benyfit Natural’s Operations Lead in the UK, will also take on the role of Managing Director as part of the acquisition.

“We could not be more pleased to be joining the Snellman Petfood family. We understand the UK market, having operated in the raw category for over a decade, and hope to support them in this expansion,” he says.

Company background

Founded in 2014, Benyfit Natural develops and manufactures raw dog food and treats at its East Sussex factory in the Southeast of England. Its products are distributed through independent retailers, pet specialist retailers and via their in-house e-commerce store.

In 2018, Billy + Margot, a dog food brand owned by Real Pet Food Company of Australia (RPFC), acquired Benyfit Natural at an undisclosed amount. RPFC was the vendor in the Snellman-Benyfit Natural acquisition.

Snellman Petfood is the pet food division of Finnish family-owned food company Snellman Group. It produces frozen raw food, treats and freeze-dried products under the brands MUSH, Fodax and Raw for Paw in its factories in Pietarsaari, Finland, and in Nässjö, Sweden. 

It has a retail footprint across Finland, Sweden, Norway, the UK and Germany. In 2024, the company reported a turnover of approximately €25 million ($28.8M) and more than 90 employees.