Big Country Raw, Canada’s leader in raw pet food is celebrating 10 years in business and throwing a party on July 9th from 10 am – 2 pm in Smithville, Ontario!
“Our 10th Anniversary Fair is a thank you to the BCR community – near and far – who have supported the brand along the way,” says Robert & Geraldine Brouwer, owners of Big Country Raw.
This event is open to the public and everyone is encouraged to bring their whole family – including their dogs – as there will be activities for everyone, including:
· Book signing by Rodney Habib, co-author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, The Forever Dog
· Dog Lovers Lure Course where your dog can take their turn at chasing the lure
· Vendors
· Face Painting
· Bouncy Castles
· Food Trucks
· Discount on Big Country Raw and Big Country Raw partner brands at the event
The History of Big Country Raw
If you travel the back roads of Smithville, Ontario, a small community within West Lincoln, you might be surprised to learn that Canada’s leader in raw pet food is produced just on the outskirts of town. Looking at where Big Country Raw is today, it is easy to assume that the company was built on industry experience and investors, however, the history is much humbler and more inspirational than that.
Behind the success of every company is an idea or product that fills a customer desire or need – in this case, it was born from a desire to give our four-legged friends the best and healthiest life – starting with what is being fed to them. For many, however, the logistics and time behind creating a raw balanced diet is just not sustainable to do it yourself. As dog breeding hobbyists, the Brouwer’s recognized this through the demand they saw when they started sending puppies to their new homes with their pre-made raw food.
In 2008, the Brouwers ran Big Country Kennels and bred German Shorthaired Pointers and Bernese Mountain Dogs. Like so many, they too fed kibble to their dogs and never really questioned the nutritional value. This was the case until they added a dog named Bijou to their breeding program. Bijou came from a well-respected Bernese breeder in Quebec who insisted that the Brouwers feed her raw. After bringing her home and trying the kibble route with her (unsuccessfully) – they finally gave in, and they visited their local butcher and followed the recipes that were provided to them. Not only did Bijou seem relieved that she was back on her raw diet, but the other dogs in the kennel soon saw the benefit of moving to a raw diet. Their dogs had more energy, shinier coats, much less poop and they didn’t have that traditional “dog” smell anymore. It didn’t take any further convincing for the Brouwers to start to recommend a raw diet to all new puppy owners.
It really is history from that point on, pre-made raw from Big Country Kennels became a hit and word spread. Soon enough the Brouwers purchased an industrial grinder and started to produce from their garage.
After producing from their rural property for 7 years and employing approximately 50 people, it was time for Big Country Raw to open a larger production facility to support the increasing demand from customers. In 2019, a 28,000 square foot building opened with great support from the community. With record numbers of pets being adopted during the pandemic, growth rates of raw food, which is estimated to be 10-15% of the $4.2+ billion pet food industry in Canada*, also increased. A five-year plan in 2019 for expansion, was accelerated due to demand and, in 2020, a 10,000 square foot addition was added to provide more freezer space and a larger order fulfilment area. Today, Big Country Raw ships to more than 1,400 retailers across Canada.
“Our goal at Big Country Raw is to grow overall share of the raw pet food category – we know when more people are buying a good quality raw, that pets will naturally be healthier. We believe Big Country Raw offers the best value and quality of raw food on the market, and naturally, we’ll get our fair share of the category growth as well. Today, pre-made raw food is more accessible to pet owners than ever, and the numbers support the fact there are still a lot of opportunities in this category.”
About Big Country Raw
Big Country Raw is not just a pet food company – we are proud to be Canada’s leader in the frozen raw pet food category. We provide our consumers with a natural raw food diet for dogs and cats, including complete meals, supplements, and treats. We are proud of who we are, committed to the product we make, and care about our customers we serve. It is a place where we encourage each other to challenge the status quo so that we may achieve great things now and in the future. In 2020 the Globe and Mail and Canadian Business Magazine recognized Big Country Raw as one of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies.