Talking Trade

Talking Trade…with Karnlea founder Lara McCullough

About Lara

Lara McCullough is the founder of Karnlea, the UK and Ireland’s fi rst 100% natural, packed from fresh bone broth. Having established production, Karnlea’s fi rst samples landed in September 2021, and a few months later its original beef variety, hit the shelves. Lara has worked in the pet industry for more than 15 years and has a keen interest in animal health. She previously owned a successful pet supplement business which was acquired in 2021, prompting her to start a new chapter with the launch of Karnlea.

Karnlea hit the shelves in January 2022. Tell us about the product and how it was bringing it to market?

“We’d been working on it for some time; researching the best way to bring the product to market as we had a very clear idea on what we wanted. After a lot of searching, we found a superb production partner and worked with them on getting the product exactly right, to ensure it contained the optimal levels of nutrients, collagen, and protein.

“We received our fi rst packed product in September 2021 and undertook consumer testing and market research. Our bone broth is unique in the UK and Ireland as it’s the only ready to use, 100% natural broth that can be stored at room temperature. This means that it can be conveniently kept on a shelf until opened, freeing up valuable fridge or freezer space.

“It’s a groundbreaker within the market. The interest we have had has shown us that our vision of a 100% natural, convenient, versatile, and ready to use product was exactly right.” The business has grown really quickly. How have you managed the growth of the brand?

“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind as the interest has been so high and we’ve been blown away by the response from both retailers and pet owners. The key is that the product is so convenient, is completely natural, with no additives or preservatives, and is high in collagen and nutrients. It’s also very versatile and suitable for cats and dogs of all sizes, breeds, and ages.

“Having a strong business plan but being prepared to adapt it when necessary has been key. Having run a very successful business previously taught me a lot. Having previously started from scratch, I learned how to scale up a business, which I sold in 2021. That was a steep learning curve which gave me valuable lessons that I’ve been able to implement with Karnlea. Rather than trying to do too many products too quickly and spreading ourselves too thin, we’ve concentrated on forming a core line of the highest quality products and establishing those fi rst. Moving forwards, we plan to add to our range and have several products and variations on which we have already started work, but we’ll take our time and make them available at suitable junctures.”

You’ve worked in the pet industry for many years. How do you feel the market is currently?

“It’s wonderful to see the rise of the independent pet shop again and the emergence of pet owners who are focused on the health, well-being, and longevity of their pets by feeding natural products. Customers are loving going back to the old way of doing things where they feel confi dent in approaching their local pet shop for good, sound, knowledgeable advice and quality products.

“While there’s no doubt that this is a tough time for everyone with the cost-of-living crisis, I still feel that so many consumers have moved on from low quality food and supplements that there will only be continued growth in the natural sector, even though it may slow slightly. It’s still a very exciting market, with so many amazing brands who produce fantastic innovative products. It allows customers to work to their own budgets and still be able to feed a good diet to their pets.” There has been an upsurge of interest in raw and natural products. Could you tell us how Karnlea fi ts into this?

“The primary reason for feeding bone broth to pets is that it is a gentle and natural way of getting key vitamins and minerals into their diet. Traditionally, people have made bone broth at home with a few key ingredients, but the downside is that it is time consuming and smelly to make. We wanted to harness all this natural goodness but provide pet owners with the convenience of having bone broth on hand when it was needed. This meant maintaining and enhancing its natural credentials and fi nding a way of making it stable with no additives or preservatives, locking in the goodness and packing it from fresh.

“We achieved this by using aseptic packaging, which is heat sealed, allowing it to be conveniently stored at ambient temperatures and used straight from the carton. It was also important for us to use quality ingredients: locally sourced meat bones from animals reared on cooperative farms that were antibiotic and hormone free.

“We have found that this has struck a chord with pet owners, particularly those who are raw and natural feeders, who are informed and looking for products that meet their exacting standards. This is why we became a Gold Affi liate member of the Raw Feeding Veterinary Society, because although Karnlea is a cooked product, it fi ts with the ethos of holistic and natural feeding and can be used to support a range of diets.” How is your relationship with independent pet shops?

“We have a great relationship with the independent pet shops that we supply. We are keen to work with them to make purchasing our products as easy and economical as possible.

“Independent retailers were always intended to play a key role as a route to market in of our sales and distribution plan. Karnlea Bone Broth was a new concept, so it was vital to have ambassadors on the ground who could explain the nature of the product, how it could be used, and convey its benefi ts. We are keen for retailers to recommend Karnlea as part of a holistic approach to helping customers tackle pet heath problems or maintain good pet health.

“I always make myself available to independent retailers to answer any questions, provide training on our products, and chat about how to feed our pets the very best way that we can. This has helped build strong relationships but also it is a two-way street. Independent retailers are our eyes and ears, they help us close the loop for our research and development and any comments, requests, and suggestions for new types of products that our customers would like are most defi nitely taken on board. Every day is a school day and it’s a pleasure to be able to converse on a day-to-day basis with such passionate and knowledgeable people.” One of your core values is being eco-friendly. Tell us how you’ve made the product eco-friendly and why you think protecting the environment is so important to pet consumers.

“Being eco-friendly was always a massive priority for us. The obvious one is our recyclable packaging. It was specifi cally chosen as it’s 100% plastic free. Even the spout on our product is made from sugar cane. It’s fully recyclable and the paperboard is produced from sustainably managed forests.

“The product itself is a wonderful use of byproducts from the human grade food chain. Bones are so full of nutrients and goodness and we make sure that all of that is extracted out. The water that is used to make our bone broth is naturally fi ltered and drawn from the river outside our production plant, which is state-of-the-art, meaning that energy use can also be monitored so closely in the cooking process. The broth is packed directly from our cooking kettles, so there aren’t any other processes that the product has to go through.

“I think pet owners, being animal lovers, are acutely aware of how important it is to protect our environment, and we naturally want to do anything that we can to help. Being transparent as a company as to our green credentials helps consumers make an easy choice.” What are your plans for 2023?

“We currently have three fl avours of bone broth — beef, lamb, and chicken — and we are currently developing a fourth variety which we will introduce to market later this year.

“There are also plans to take Karnlea ‘on the road’ for the fi rst time and we hope to be attending Crufts in March. We had a presence there last year through our distributors and it really proved popular, so we intend to extend our presence, particularly as Karnlea is great for sporting and show dogs, helping maintain their hydration levels and providing a valuable source of collagen which is essential for joint and coat health.

“We are also looking to attend another major event during the summer which is aimed at pet owners who are interested in holistic pet health. We feel that would be a great fi t for what we do and help switch people on to the benefi ts Karnlea can bring. The beauty of Karnlea is its simplicity — it has just three ingredients: meat bones, water, and a little cider vinegar to extract the goodness. There are no nasties and customers don’t have to question what’s in it.

“We will also continue to work closely with our UK distributors, Pedigree Wholesale, which keenly promotes natural products. Independent retailers who are Pedigree customers can ‘dip a toe into the water’ and add Karnlea to their shelves by adding our range into existing orders, helping save money on delivery. Karnlea Bone Broth is packaged in brick-shaped cartons which means that it is easy to store and display — it’s a potentially big seller that takes very little shelf space.”