you asked, we listened.

Because you asked, and we listened.

We have been hard at work behind the scenes at smallbatch working on colorful new packaging. With those changes, we thought it’d be a perfect time to improve our formula with subtle, yet distinct new changes.

Now with MORE Meat!
Chicken, Turkey, Beef & Duck we increased the ratio to 88% meat/12% veg
Lamb & Rabbit we increased the ratio to 78% meat/22% veg
With the increased meat content, you will definitely notice a more meaty texture, along with the vibrant coloring that we just know your carnivorous pets will welcome!

New Organic Veggies!
You will find two new produce added to all our formulas that we have found to be nutrient rich ingredients. As always, we only use 100% certified organic.
• Bilberry- Shown to improve eye health and cataracts. Similar to a blueberry, it’s a powerful source of antioxidants that fight off damaging free radicals in the body. Rich in Vitamin C and Flavanoids.
• Wheat and Barley Grass- Many times richer in chlorophyll and iron than spinach. Helps detox, cleanse and heal the body. Also promotes digestive healthy while boosting the immune system.

    
• Cilantro – Powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal/ anti-microbial herb. Cilantro has been effectively used to help remove heavy metals and other toxic agents from the body.

No More Root Vegetables!
This has been the most heavily requested change. With Allergies from Candida yeast prevalent amongst our pets, we decided to swap out Yams, Broccoli, Collard Greens & Carrots in 2 of our most allergy-friendly batches: Lamb & Rabbit.
As a replacement, we’ve added the following super green & nutritious veggies.
Celery- An important source of conventional antioxidant nutrients, including vitamin C and beta-carotene. Known for its cardiovascular and muscle support.
Green beans- Excellent levels of vitamin A, and health promoting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants. Known for its anti-inflammatory properties as well as the support of bone and eye health.
Cauliflower- The anti-inflammatory support provided by cauliflower (including its vitamin K and omega-3 content) makes it a food also capable of providing cardiovascular benefits.
Bok Choy- higher concentration of beta-carotene and vitamin A than any other variety of cabbage. Known for its cancer prevention and digestive tract support
In addition we’ve sprinkled in the following herbs:
• Thyme – Nutrient dense in Vitamin A and C and the minerals, Iron and Copper. Helps in the support of Kidney and brain and heart.
• Oregano - Nutrient Dense in Vitamin K and Minerals, Calcium, Iron and Manganese. 

Our new packaging is here!

Hey everyone! As some of you may or may not know we've been working hard behind the scenes to bring you new packaging. We are thrilled to announce that our hard work has paid off...new packaging for sliders and patties in now ready to hit the freezers! Our new bags have lovely updated images, no labels(images are printed right on the bag), and have more information than before. We really think you will like them as much as we do, or at a least we hope you do! Don't worry, it's only a fresh new look, what's inside is still as amazing as before, actually we've made a few ingredient adjustments that we feel will make our food even better than before. Say hello to bilberry and wheat grass! These two amazing ingredients will now be added to all our dog batches: 

Bilberry- High in Vitamin C and Bio-Flavonoids.  Known for its eye support and ability to regulate blood sugar. 

Wheat grass- Wheat Grass is many times richer in chlorophyll and iron than spinach. It's protein level averages 25 percent and it contains virtually every vitamin known, along with 20 amino acids, exceptionally rich in vitamins E, K, and B-complex. It also has twice the vitamin than carrots. 

But wait, there's more! Rabbit batch and Lamb batch get an ingredient makeover. We were getting lots of requests(an overwhelming amount) to remove root veggies from those diets.  So, we set out to remove the root veggies and replace them with nutrient dense alternatives. While we were at it, we decided to give the veggie and herb profile for these two diets a complete overhaul and makeover. It was fun, we really got into it! Felt like the old days, back when we first started. One part inspiration, and one part nostalgia. 

We welcome these wonderful ingredients to our lamb and rabbit batches: winter squash, celery, green beans, bok choy, cauliflower, cilantro, thyme and oregano. 

We feel it's a favorable change for two reasons. 

-Variety. For those who rotate proteins now you'll also be rotating some new produce in the mix.

 -Alternative. A no root veggie, single sourced protein option, it's not always easy to find in the pet food world. You hyper allergenic pups, we're looking out for you!

Wait, wait, wait...one more! Cat batches also get a little update with the help of barley grass. Full of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Felines never get left out at camp smallbatch. 

As always, please contact us if you have any questions, we're happy to talk about our changes with you. And we're happy to hear from you, period. 

Many thanks, 

the smallbatch team

Bringing it all back home.

Our heart and soul will always remain in San Francisco, it's where smallbatch was created and where we drew so much inspiration and gained so much love, support and strength, the place that put us on this journey. A few months ago, we decided to move our facility back to where it all started, back in San Francisco. Unfortunately, this is not an easy task otherwise we would of done it a long time ago! It's not as easy as moving your house or office, it requires build out, applying for grants, inspections, more inspections from city, state etc. In the interim, while things are sorted out, we are working hard to iron out the necessary tasks at hand. We're continuing the processing of our formulas up in Oregon, where we do our Pacific North West production. Since we don’t make large batches of food and store it, timing of materials, production and delivery have to be in-sync. Because of this, we'd like to apologize in advance...if you go to your local store and find yourself in a pickle because they're out of your dog or cat's favorite smallbatch flavor or product don't freak out. Just hang tight and know we are working our tails off to sort it all out and make it all work for everyone in a timely fashion. As always thank you for the tremendous amount of support and love.

see ya in two shakes of a lamb's tail, San Francisco! 

woof & meow, 

-the smallbatch team 

Ash in food

This is volcanic ash. This is not the same ash found in our pet food!

Every now and then we'll get a phone call or email from a concerned customer inquiring about the ash content in our food. Questions such as...do you really add ash to your products? or...is it the same stuff you find in your fireplace?

To this is there is an easy reply, ash isn't what it sounds like. So what is ash? It is the total mineral content in food and every food has ash regardless of whether it is raw or processed(kibble or can). The ash reported on a label represents the total of all minerals found in that food. These minerals are calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium, zinc along with trace amounts of others. Generally, any natural food will have less than 5% sometimes up to 8% ash in content while processed foods have ash content of 10-14%.

Pet owners become easily confused and concerned with ash specially cat owners, as vets will sometimes recommend they only purchase foods low in ash (high ash content is often associated to feline lower urinary tract disease). Sometimes people will take it further and want to do whatever it takes to nearly eliminate ash completely not knowing exactly what their vet really means. Because ash is made up of essential mineral nutrients, feeding too little can lead to a mineral deficiency and cause other health problems in their pets. 

We can probably get into many different discussions just by explaining ash, perhaps we'll save some topics for future posts! 

Meet Purl

Hey, it's Purl!

Hi world!

Two new flavors were added to our cat slider line, turkey and lamb. Although we had a mix of opinions from customers on which should be the next two, we ultimately went with the opinion of none other than an actual feline. Of course, we plan on adding more flavors to the line and soon everyone will be pleased, but this time around our feedback came from a very finicky source. 

Let us introduce you to one of the smallbatch head honchos, her name is Purl and she is quite delightful. She came to us from a litter of rescued cats and has been on raw food since she was weaned from her mother. She is athletic, incredibly sweet, head huntress, pillow warmer, a lover not a fighter. And she is by all means, a true finicky eater. We have another boss cat around who eats all of our flavors, including the dog batches and blends, complete opposite of little miss picky pants. 

Purl's favorite of the two new flavors is the lamb. We know, when on earth would a domestic cat take down a lamb out in the wild? Although we do try to mimic a prey diet let's face it, never would their food be perfectly formed into sliders and served to them on pretty little dishes, mother nature doesn't offer fancy dining. The lamb we use in all of our products is not only grass fed and free range, it is never placed in feedlots or given hormones or antibiotics. This is an incredibly important aspect for us when sourcing not only our lamb but also all our other proteins. Imagine lambs that forage and eat on green pastures the way nature intended. Because they graze for long distances on large open pastures they are lean fit and healthy. Their diet consisting of wild grasses, herbs and rich alfalfa fields making,  them rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and beta-carotene and much lower in fat than grain fed lamb. 

Sure, Purl likes the lamb sliders over the turkey ones, but that's because she's a red meat kinda girl. Our turkey also amazingly sourced, are never fed anything with animal by-products, GMO's, pesticides, chemicals, or synthetics and free of antibiotics and hormones. These turkeys, are allowed to roam in areas four times the size of commercial turkey ranches, they breed naturally, as well as run and even fly. Only healthy lean and nutritious turkeys here, full of amino acids, good lean protein, full of vitamins, and low in fat. 

For now, we can relax knowing we have pleased one finicky feline, but we know our work does not end here...there are many more to please and we will continue introducing new flavors! 

Rabbit News!

Our rabbit sales rep Dominic Moll and his two youngest sons.

In recent months we have come across some sourcing issues. Finding local rabbit has been increasingly difficult, so much that we have had to search outside California. We strive to source as much of our ingredients right here at home, but when sources become so scarce that it affects our ability to produce products, we're forced to find the next best thing. We feel that we've found something even better, and we didn't have to source from New Zealand or even China like you'll find in many other pet foods. 

Enter De Bruin Brothers from Oskaloosa, Iowa. We came across this wonderful company a while back at a family dinner, and when it came time to look for another rabbit source that was consistent with our demand and met our expectations of quality, we turned to them. De Bruin Brothers, are a small family owned company with many values... and they're fun to talk to. All of their rabbit come from small family farms that raise their rabbit on a diet of sweet alfalfa, oats, wheat and barley with no antibiotics or hormones ever. We welcome you to check out their website www.debruinbrothers.com and see what they're all about.  
If you have any questions or feedback for us, feel free to call or email us. 

Pacific Northwest

      

The many out-of-state inquiries are about to decrease...just a wee bit. This week, smallbatch has begun production in the Pacific Northwest. We have now expanded our business model, accommodating customers outside of the sunshine state. 

Yes, we're now proudly making batches in Oregon! Woo hoo! Sourcing our ingredients, producing and distributing there, as well as to neighboring states(mainly Washington). Pretty exciting and scary stuff. We never imagined being available outside of San Francisco(home to all smallbatch beginnings), let alone outside of California. Our main focus has always been to make products that are sourced and made locally, we did not want to deviate from our main mission and beliefs. By applying this principle we feel that we've managed to expand without compromising our ideals or our products. 

It's exciting to make new connections with farms and ranches as well as stores outside of California. Much like California, Oregon has a bounty of resources and everyone has been incredibly friendly and helpful with us making the expansion easy. Of course, none of this would ever be possible without the support from all our customers throughout the years. Thank you, we are forever grateful. 

chicken source

Mary and her family.

Some of the chickens on the Pitman Family Farm.

People often ask us about our sourcing and how we determine what farms and ranches we work with. Our criteria is always simple yet stringent. We work with local farms and ranches all who share the same beliefs and practices that we do. This not only guarantees the freshest and healthiest products, but also helps keep our california economy vibrant while helping to reduce your pet's carbon paw print. Okay, so who are these amazing sources?

Let's start with one and go over what they do and why they do it so well!

Here we go...

Let us introduce you to Pitman Family Farms. They are located in Sanger California near Fresno. They provide us with all of our poultry that goes into our chicken, turkey, and duck batches and blends. Their Mary's organic brand can be found in many natural grocery stores across the state and it's the same chicken that your dog or cat are eating when fed our products. Here's a little bit you should know about Mary's Organic chicken, we think you'll find their practices pretty darn awesome.

- All of their chickens are air chilled. This system inhibits the spread of bacteria also saves about 30,000 gallons of chlorinated water(a method typically used in the industry) from being used. The results are healthier and better tasting chicken.

-All of their chickens have outdoor access, with outdoor areas that always include water and shade. Natural chicken behaviors are encouraged by providing the chickens with bales of straw used by chickens for pecking. Also eucalyptus tree branches used by chickens for playing and hiding. Oh, those silly girls!

-All chickens have access to large grassy foraging areas, this encourages tons of running around under bright, warm sunny skies.

-Their chickens are of a slow growing breed a non-commercial type, these chickens have a stronger immune system and stronger bone structure.

-All chickens are  hand raised in small groups.

If you'd like to browse their site or call Mary, do it! Also, next time you're shopping for yourself make sure to look for Mary's chicken in your butcher aisle, they offer whole pre-packaged chickens along with pre-packaged chicken breasts. You'll really taste the difference.

new dog slider flavors!

Last week we sent out a poll asking our customers and retailers to help us choose the next two dog slider proteins. The final results are in.

The next two dog slider flavors are...drum roll...

Turkey and Duck!

Thanks to everyone who voted and helped us make this decision, your input and feedback is so important to us.

cat & dog sliders. there's a difference!

In the past months since launching our sliders, we've received a good amount of phone calls and emails in regards to these lil' one ounce-ers.

Now answering these popular concerns in the following Q & A format:

Q: I accidentally bought dog sliders instead of cat sliders(or vice versa)...how can I tell the difference between these two?

A. Ah, such a good question! Well, first off the dog image from our logo is located on the top left of the slider bag and although the image is animated it is indeed a dog (and same goes for the cat sliders). The other tell-tale sign is that right below the dog or cat image you'll see smallbatch and either the word 'cat' or 'dog' next to it.

Q: So I bought the wrong sliders. Can my dog eat cat sliders(um, and vice versa)?

A: The answer is, yes. Cat sliders are higher in protein, which means they contain a whole lot less veggies. And by a whole lot we mean a WHOLE lot. Cat sliders are about 1% produce(dandelion greens, cranberries, kelp) they do contain salmon oil, apple cider vinegar and grapefruit seed extract just like dog batches. Your dog would be getting a higher percentage of protein and a little variety in the dandelion and cranberry that they would normally not get from the dog sliders or patties. With that being said, dog sliders being fed to a cat is no cause for alarm. In this instance a cat would be receiving more veggies than necessary but as long as it is temporary it's actually a good thing. Your cat would be getting a little variety and benefiting from it. Now finish off the bag and pay closer attention next time!

Q: I counted each slider in the bag and did not find 48 one ounce sliders. What the heck?

A: Easy there, we're certainly not trying to cheat you out of a slider or two. Our slider bags read 'contains 48, 1oz. sliders (3lbs.)' in hindsight, the bag should read 'approximately, 48...' due to the variation in weight per slider...Ok, wait just know that you're definitely getting 3lbs. in every bag but unfortunately at times, 47 sliders tips the scale at 3lbs, sometimes 46 sliders do the same so we have to stop at that number. We apologize for that error and will definitely make changes as soon as we are ready to print more bags. Now please put the bag down, warm your frozen fingers and go have some fun.

Q: Are you going to launch other slider proteins? And if so, when?!

A: Patience my fellow raw food feeder. We are soon launching some more flavors, but please note that since we are a local company with an emphasis on using local proteins(from california), we are limited to the kind of exotics you might me thinking of(venison, buffalo, unicorn etc.) As soon as we are ready to bust out more slider flavors you will be the first one to know, we'll let everyone and their grandma know.

Ah, feels good to let it all out. Sure hope this helps sort out the slider mysteries.

The truth about HPP.

Many phone calls and emails have been pouring in, concerning HPP and whether or not we use it or have plans on implementing it to our processing. The answer is, no. We do not use HPP in our processing and are doing everything in our power to ensure that we continue to produce a true 100% raw product.

So what is good about HPP? Foods treated with HPP have a couple of key benefits. The first being an extended product shelf life and second, HPP is said to destroy harmful bacteria. So why all the overwhelming concern from everyone?

It turns out that while extending shelf life and killing potentially harmful bacteria, HPP also destroys all the friendly organisms that exist in raw food, these are also known as the good bacteria. These beneficial microorganisms are full of enzymes, they help keep colonies of pathogenic bacteria from multiplying quickly through a process called competitive inhibition (competing for growth). Once these friendly bacteria are destroyed during HPP, there is nothing to keep the pathogenic bacteria(bad bacteria) from growing out-of-control, if the product is re-contaminated during manufacturing or customer handling.

Say for instance, you leave your pet's food sitting out too long (come on, we've all done it, yeah even you!)chances are that if the food is treated with HPP it has a greater chance to make your pet sick than a food not treated with HPP. Why? Well when you leave raw meat out and allow it to warm to room temperature, you are essentially creating the optimal environment for bad bacteria to grow. Since the HPP treated food contains no friendly bacteria there is no way to combat the new outbreak of bad bacteria. Resulting in a contaminated food that will inevitably make your dog or cat sick. On the other hand, foods not treated with HPP would still have the good bacteria to put up a fight. The balance of good and bad is vital in keeping your pet's tummy from getting sick.

So let's review this quickly. Unprocessed raw food contains whole-food nutrition in a natural form that your pet's body can easily digest, absorb, metabolize, and eliminate. It contains beneficial bacteria, that not only aid digestion but also control the growth of pathogenic bacteria that could make your pet sick. Let's remember that cats and dogs have a gastrointestinal tract that is equipped to deal with traces of bad bacteria that are naturally present in raw meat. However, HPP in effect turns raw food into processed food,killing all the good and bad microorganisms simultaneously. Here in lies the potential for trouble.

At smallbatch we see no need for HPP because all of our ingredients are 100% traceable and locally sourced from farms and ranches that implement strict handling practices and testing procedures. We too have stringent processing procedures in place to alleviate any concerns of potential contamination. We process all of our diets in a USDA facility under strict regulation. We grind all of our meats at 27 degrees in a completely controlled environment. Once a patty is formed or a chub is filled the product is either put through a freeze tunnel or a into blast freezer. At no point in our processing procedure is there any possibility of a pathogenic bacteria outbreak. We feel it is our duty as a manufacturer of raw foods to be meticulous throughout the entire process. From the procuring of our ingredients to the processing of our formulas, smallbatch is dedicated to delivering the safest (real) raw food for dogs and cats!

How do you work this thing?

We have so much to share and photos to post yet we're having some downloading issues, camera mishaps and so on. See you soon with things to share!

Good Readin'

"All dogs are brilliant at perceiving the slightest movement that we make, and they assume each tiny movement has meaning."

At my wits end trying to find out what my dog really thinks and what I'm doing wrong with communicating, a friend of mine highly recommended this book to me. Although I'm not finished reading it I cannot put it down. It's amazing to find out what we as humans do to confuse and disorient our dogs and how their behavior differs from ours. We are so connected and share so much (humans and canines) yet our instincts are polar opposites. This book is amazing at explaining human behavior and dog behavior as well, and offers stories so similar to the one's we experience with our dogs that really makes me feel like we all stumble onto the same problems. No one is alone! Only very few humans are naturals at understanding and communicating flawlessly with canines, for the rest of us there's hope...it starts here, with this fine piece of work! A must read for any dog loving, dog hugging, leash holder out there! 

More wonderful readin' and information...here!

Feline facts.

*photos courtesy of fofurasfelinas

Yes. We do obey, praise and love them.

The cat (felis catus) also known as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from other felines and felids, is a small predatory carnivorous species of crepuscularmammal that is valued by humans for it's companionship and it's ability to hunt vermin, snakes and scorpions. It has been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years. 

A skilled predator, the cat is known to hunt over 1,000 species for food. It can be trained to obey simple commands. Individual cats have also been known to learn on their own to manipulate simple mechanisms, such as doorknobs. Cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of body language for communication, including meowing, purring, hissing, growling, chirping, clicking, and grunting. Cats may be the most popular pet in the world, with over 600 million in homes all over the world. 

Cats have specialized teeth for the killing of prey and the tearing of meat. The premolar and first molar together compose the carnassial pair on each side of the mouth, which efficiently functions to shear meat like a pair of scissors. While this is present in canids, it is highly developed in felines. The cat's tongue has sharp spines, or papillae, useful for retaining and ripping felsh from a carcass. These papillae are small backward-facing hooks that conatain keratin which also assist in their grooming.

Sunday in the park.

This sunday after some early morning work and then some delicious brunch at Slow Club, we made our way to the top of Bernal Heights otherwise known as Bernal Hill. It was such a gorgeous day and Tuula very much enjoyed running around and meeting new friends. We did however run into some old friends, a four legged type named Elliott and his lovely owner Jan, it was quite a reunion! After some overdue chatting about everyone's happenings, and some romping about between Tuula and Elliott we took off to run some more errands and finish off the day in Half Moon Bay. Apple Jacks and Duarte's if how we ended our afternoon... much deserved too since it's back to work today.

Enjoy the weekend.

*photo by lilian3000

Happy friday everyone! Looks like good weather is coming our way, hopefully this is the case in your neck of the woods. smallbatch will be attending a party at cheengoo tonight, we'll be handing out samples and hanging out, getting to know some new faces. We'll make sure to post photos of the event next week and some other photos we've been meaning to share with you all. In the meantime enjoy some time off or perhaps a break here and there.

Hooray, for herding dogs!

*photos by fourinchesofego


Just felt like sharing this photo of a beautiful herding dog and the sheep being herded. Even though we have a herder in our gang (miss Tuula) she doesn't get to exercise her awesome herding abilities. Instead we have to find things (jobs) for her to do, keep her busy with long walks, romps at the beach and park. Roaming on beautiful grasslands and being part of a farming or ranching lifestyle would really be ideal for her. She does have the opportunity, whenever smallbatch heads out to collect ingredients (produce and meat) to come along and experience country life even for a bit. As most of you know, our ingredients come from all over the bay area. We of course bring along our third wheel, instantly you see how this setting makes her feel right at home. Fresh air, beautiful land to roam and trot on. In the meantime she's stuck in the city herding the house cat, dogs, and us of course. Perhaps someday my little crazy herder. Here's to you and all the hardworking herders out there.

Devotion.

*photo by TamaraL


"be the kind of person your dog thinks you are"

Going through flickr I found some incredible photos out there. So many truly inspire me to photograph everything around me, mostly my beloved pets. This photograph in particular gave me the "ooh" and "ahh" it really shows the dynamic we (pet and owner) share. Our pets look up to us to protect them, love them and to feed them! Yes, you can say that we are their "meal ticket" but i like to think that I mean much more to my critters than just that. They do however, depend on us to make the right choices for them. They can't speak (our dog tries), they can't drive (we bet our cat could!) , they can't make vet or dog walker/pet sitter choices and they certainly cannot shop for themselves! Just imagine is they could...scary. But in all seriousness, they do depend on us to give them all the right things and i'm not talking about cute collars and toys (which a lot of us obsess about... specially the cute kind!) but mostly in regards to nutrition. Pets can't read labels, and they can't ask questions like "where does this meat come from", or "where is this made" but we their owners can, and we should for them. Having an animal companion is so much more than just acquiring a cute fur ball to tote around or parade about, it's a serious relationship that involves so much more to consider and act on. They provide all the goofiness, love, devotion and warmth. We should stand up and take the responsibility they most certainly can't take. Imagine that, you being your best friend's hero.

Relax, it's just music.

Music has always been known to "soothe the savage beast"...so does soothing music help pets? People often leave a television or radio on for their pets when they leave their house, many believe this helps distract and tune out unwanted noise. This also makes people feel like their pets have some kind of company. While this may be true, clinical studies show that animals react differently to types of sounds and music. Whereas they are calm and relaxed with most classical types, they are uneasy and bothered with heavy metal or loud rock. Dogs and cats exposed to soothing classical music appear noticeably calmer and generally more relaxed than those that are not. Cats seem to sleep heavier when they are left with soothing music playing and dogs seem to settle easier. Listening to such music while you're at home is great because you get to see first hand how your pets react to it if in case you are questioning the calming effects of music.

 So go on and pick out some Mozart, Bach, or Beethoven and leave it playing while you are out or leave your radio on to a local classical station. Just make sure that upon arriving home you come in quietly... you won't want to disturb the peace.

Think green.

We picked-up some produce from Earl's Organic this week and thought of sharing some pictures of the "greens" with everyone. After each pick-up we typically grind the produce that are added to our batches, but before going through that task we snapped some shots. Organic kale, broccoli, parsley, basil, and rosemary are the ones pictured because of how beautiful and vibrant they looked when grouped together. They are also key elements in our batches in both cat and dog diets, the nutritional value they hold is amazing. Hope everyone's eating their greens, at least we know our pets are!