My picky-eater dog tried Grub Club’s insect-based food – here’s our review

The protein-rich product is said to be better for dogs with allergies and sensitive tummies

Alex Lee
Tuesday 06 December 2022 15:38 GMT
Who knew fly larvae could taste so good?
Who knew fly larvae could taste so good? (The Independent)

Insects are very, very slowly finding their feet as a delicacy among humans in the west as a more environmentally friendly source of protein. ‘Eurgh’, you may say, but a recent report suggests we need to cut down our meat consumption to stave off the worst of the climate crisis, and bugs might be the answer. 

With pets being responsible for 20 per cent of the world’s consumption of fish and meat, a London-based company called Grub Club has turned to making bug-based dog food as a viable, planet-saving alternative, and I wanted to see if my pooch would approve.

The thing is, finding food that my dog, Gatsby, enjoys has taken a lot of work. He’s a very picky eater. He gathers up vegetables from his bowl and spits them out onto the side with disdain, leaving him to ravage the rest of his meaty raw food without those nasty greens (and carrots) getting in his way.

But on top of being a picky eater, Gatsby also has a sensitive stomach, and allergies that make him itch and scratch whenever he’s eaten something bad. He loves chicken, but it doesn’t sit right with his stomach or his skin. If I miraculously find something that he actually enjoys, I have to make sure that it’ll agree with his belly or we’re both in trouble.

Grub Club’s all-day buffet dog food (from £11.69, Mygrubclub.com) and range of treats – sit roll treat repeat (from £3.79, Mygrubclub.com), poop perfector (from £3.49, Mygrubclub.com) and canine shine (from £3.49, Mygrubclub.com) – might very well be the solution.

Made in the UK, Grub Club’s food and treats are all grain-free, come in fully recyclable packaging, and are vet-approved. The company uses the larvae from the black soldier fly as its source of protein. These flies are fed on organic plant-based matter and come from two insect-farming facilities – Protix and Entocycle.

Grub Club says its food isn’t just environmentally friendly, it’s hypoallergenic as well. Described as being “perfect for sensitive tummies and itchy skin”, I may have just stumbled upon the meal of our dreams... if Gatsby liked it, that is.

How we tested

I introduced the all-day buffet dog food kibble into Gatsby’s diet slowly over time, and have given the treats for both training purposes on walks and for, well, spoiling him whenever I feel like it. Consistency, texture, packaging and size of the food was all looked at.

I wanted to see if the dog food and treats would agree with his stomach, and, just as importantly, whether he would actually enjoy the insect-based kibble. With Gatsby and food, everything’s a dice roll, so I was intrigued to find out how the vet-approved Grub Club would fare.

All-day buffet

all day buffet.jpg
  • Pack size: 1.5kg, 6kg and 12kg
  • Ingredients: Fly larvae, blueberries, pomegranates and prebiotics
  • Why we love it
    • My dog seems to love the taste
    • It didn’t smell and it had a good texture
  • Take note
    • Fairly pricey

We started with the all-day buffet, which is Grub Club’s main meal. No dessert until after dinner, of course.

I poured half a cup’s worth into his bowl, and he sniff curiously at it for a few seconds, looking at me suspiciously, before diving right in and gobbling up the small pieces of kibble. The boy loved it, and he even came trotting up to me to ask for more after he’d finished. This was abnormal. It takes him a while to warm to new food, but he gobbled it right up, and he didn’t have any stinky dog breath afterwards either.

Grub Club recommends you introduce all-day buffet into your pet’s diet slowly over the course of 7-10 days, starting with around 25 per cent Grub Club mixed in with your dog’s current food. Then gradually increase the amount over a few weeks until your dog is on it completely.

The pieces don’t look like insects, they’re round bits of kibble that Grub Club says are baked in wood-fired, carbon neutral ovens. The kibble itself has a pretty good texture that wasn’t too hard, and the insect protein is powdered, so I couldn’t tell it was insect-based.

Plus, it didn’t smell particularly buggy either, and actually smelt less pungent than normal dog kibble. The pieces aren’t too big, so it’s crunchable, and doesn’t require more than a few chews for my medium-sized dog.

As well as fly larvae, the company says the food is packed with antioxidant-rich blueberries and pomegranates, and prebiotics for digestion. The packaging looks like it’s made out of plastic, but Grub Club says it’s fully recyclable.

I’ve used the food as a replacement for Gatsby’s lunch, and frequently mix the all-day buffet with his raw food for dinner. There have been no complaints or upset tummies. While he still enjoys it, he’d definitely choose his raw food over the kibble, though prefers the taste of Grub Club over previous dry food I’ve tried in the past.

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Sit roll treat repeat

sit roll treat repeat .jpg
  • Pack size: 100g
  • Ingredients: Insect protein, spirulina, berries and fresh banana
  • Why we love it
    • Good texture that’s easy to break up
    • Seemed to taste good to our dog

Out of the three treat flavours available, this is the one Gatsby enjoys the most. Open up the bag, take out one of the hexagonal-shaped soft-baked biscuits and he comes running along, giving me his paw so he can have one. The treats are soft, so you can easily tear them up if you want to ration the amount of “Good boys” you give out.

This is a daily treat, so it’s generally good for teaching pooches new tricks or taking with you on walks. It features a blend of insect protein, spirulina, berries and fresh banana. The company says the treats are rich in fibre, antioxidants and detoxifying vitamins. There were no digestive problems with this one, and they didn’t induce a horrible itch.

The colourful resealable packaging is made from 70 per cent sugar cane and is fully recyclable, plus it’s only seven calories per treat. Ultimately, a big win.

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Canine shine

canine shine .jpg
  • Pack size: 100g
  • Ingredients: Insect protein, coconut, turmeric and apple
  • Why we love it
    • Good texture and consistency
    • Nice packaging
  • Take note
    • It maybe tastes a little too healthy for our pooch

Grub Club’s canine shine treats promise to deliver softer skin and a glossy coat. While Gatsby will still eat them, they’re probably his least favourite of the three flavours. If he had a choice, he’d opt for the sit roll treat repeat. So, what’s the issue?

I think it might be the ingredients. As well as insect protein, these contain coconut, turmeric and apple. The dog notoriously turned his nose up at Aldi’s apple-flavoured ice cream, and even I hate turmeric. That said, he did still eat them, but sometimes a little encouragement was necessary.

Thankfully, Gatsby doesn’t have any issues with his coat or the healthiness of his fur, so it’s not a treat I have to rely on. He had no digestion issues with these hexagonally shaped biscuits, which are again soft-baked and easy to break up and tear. The packaging is 70 per cent sugarcane, just like the rest of the treat pouches.

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Poop perfector

poop perfector .jpg
  • Pack size: 100g
  • Ingredients: Insect protein, parsley, sage and prebiotic
  • Why we love it
    • The dog seemed to think it tasted good
    • Nice, resealable and recyclable packaging

OK, scooty bums, listen up, because poop perfector might be the treat bag for your pooch’s digestive issues. This one’s made from insect protein, parsley, sage and prebiotic – sounds unappealing, but Gatsby weirdly dug these ones.

His poop gets a bit soft if he’s had the wrong foods or eaten something naughty in the park, so I was looking forward to seeing how these fared. Over the month or so of testing these, his poop has been absolutely fine, but he also hasn’t eaten anything bad, so maybe that has also helped.

The fusspot seemed to think the flavour of these ones tasted good, and just like the other two treats, they’re soft-baked, easy to tear and come in the same sugar cane resealable packaging, and they don’t smell like stinky dog treats either.

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The verdict: Grub Club insect-based dog food and treats

Who knew insects could taste so good? Not me, but my dog certainly enjoys the all-day buffet and is a massive fan of the sit roll treat repeat. He happily ate all of Grub Club’s offerings, sometimes even licking the bowl clean. His tummy never suffered either. All of the products have a good texture and they won’t stink out your pocket when you take them out with you on walks.

If you’ve struggled to find treats and food for your hypoallergenic pooch, Grub Club could be the solution. The food is nutritious, healthy and apparently tastes pretty darn good too. Plus, it’s not so bad on the planet either.

That said, Grub Club isn’t cheap. The all-day buffet starts from £12.99 for a 1.5kg bag, which is on the top-end of the kibble market, and the treats start from £3.49.

As well as single packs of treats, Grub Club also sells bundles of treats and food. Taking out a treats subscription lowers the cost by 15 per cent but this really is premium dog food, so you do get what you pay for.

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