Gilbertson & Page was founded in 1873. A holder of two Royal Warrants, it’s first was received in 1884 from Queen Victoria. Today, the company is still in private, family ownership and operates from Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire. All Gilbertson & Page’s pet foods are developed and produced in-house at Welwyn. Over the course of time, the underlying principles that guide the business haven’t really changed and Gilbertson & Page remains wedded to the simplicity of crafting highly-nutritious pet feeds and staying close to customers. Two things probably highlight the contrast with the big brands. Firstly, there’s very little in the way of advertising, with the Company preferring to attend and sponsor lots of national and local events (for example, Gilbertson & Page have been the International Sheep Dog Society’s principal sponsor for many years). Secondly, in its 140 year history, the production facilities have moved a grand total of … 6 miles! That ‘local manufacturing’ approach is important. It has allowed skills to develop over many years and for Gilbertson and Page to establish a very strong relationship with suppliers. It also makes the Company one of a relatively small number of pet feeds suppliers that still manufactures its products in the UK. This notion of “we make our own” is something that pet owners and animal professionals increasingly value. Of course, the science behind animal feeds has advanced enormously over even the past 50 years and, today, Gilbertson & Page is probably best known for its ability to formulate foods, especially for dogs, that address energy, life-stage and health issues – and to offer these ranges at very competitive prices (remember that lack of advertising I mentioned). As a mark of its innovation credentials, Gilbertson & Page launched their Valu-Mix dry dog food in 1975, almost single-handedly creating the market for dry feeds, and they’ve just built a new product testing and development lab! If you’d like to know about the Company’s work and its customers, please ‘like’ this page or visit the blog at gilbertsonandpage.net. Alternatively, you can contact them direct.
