{"id":3131,"date":"2020-03-05T13:32:22","date_gmt":"2020-03-05T13:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.petz.co.uk\/?page_id=3131"},"modified":"2026-03-04T09:01:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T09:01:35","slug":"best-cold-pressed-dog-food","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.petz.uk\/best-cold-pressed-dog-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Cold Pressed Dog Food UK 2026: Wilsons, Forthglade & More Reviewed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cold-pressed dog food is the fastest-growing dry food category in the UK, driven by owners seeking a middle ground between conventional extruded kibble and raw feeding. The production method is the key differentiator: where conventional kibble is extruded at 150-180\u00b0C (destroying heat-sensitive nutrients in the process), cold-pressed food is compressed at temperatures below 45\u00b0C using mechanical pressure alone.<\/p>\n\n

This lower temperature preserves significantly more of the original nutritional content \u2014 particularly B vitamins, enzymes, and amino acid bioavailability that are partially degraded during high-temperature extrusion. The resulting pellet is denser and heavier than extruded kibble, and behaves differently in the stomach: rather than swelling and expanding (as extruded kibble does, which can cause bloating in deep-chested breeds), cold-pressed food softens and dissolves from the outside in.<\/p>\n\n\n

Cold-Pressed vs Extruded: What’s the Real Difference?<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n
Factor<\/th>\nCold-Pressed<\/th>\nExtruded Kibble<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Temperature<\/strong><\/td>Below 45\u00b0C<\/td>150-180\u00b0C<\/td><\/tr>\n
Nutrient retention<\/strong><\/td>High (vitamins, enzymes intact)<\/td>Moderate (heat degradation)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Stomach behaviour<\/strong><\/td>Dissolves (outside-in)<\/td>Swells (absorbs water)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Bloat risk<\/strong><\/td>Lower<\/td>Higher (deep-chested breeds)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Digestibility<\/strong><\/td>Higher<\/td>Standard<\/td><\/tr>\n
Shelf life<\/strong><\/td>Shorter (less processing)<\/td>Longer<\/td><\/tr>\n
Price<\/strong><\/td>Premium (\u00a33-5\/kg)<\/td>Standard (\u00a32-4\/kg)<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Quick Comparison: Best Cold Pressed Dog Food UK 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Brand<\/th>\nProtein<\/th>\nKey Feature<\/th>\nBest For<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Wilsons Cold Pressed<\/strong><\/td>\nSingle-source<\/td>\nYour Dog 2025 winner<\/td>\nOverall best \/ UK made<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Forthglade Cold Pressed<\/strong><\/td>\nMeat-first<\/td>\nAffordable + grain-free options<\/td>\nBest value \/ Budget<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tribal Fresh Pressed<\/strong><\/td>\nFresh meat<\/td>\nGreen-lipped mussel added<\/td>\nJoint support \/ Seniors<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Barking Heads Cold Pressed<\/strong><\/td>\nHigh-quality<\/td>\nSuperfoods + balanced nutrition<\/td>\nQuality ingredients<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gentle Dog Food<\/strong><\/td>\nVarious<\/td>\nAll life stages + small bites<\/td>\nSmall breeds \/ Sensitive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Our Detailed Reviews<\/h2>\n\n\n

1. Wilsons Cold Pressed \u2014 Best Overall<\/h3>\n

Wilsons was named “Best Dry Dog Food 2025” by Your Dog magazine \u2014 a recognition that crowned years of growing reputation among UK independent pet shops and informed dog owners. Made in Scotland, Wilsons uses single-source protein (you choose chicken, turkey, salmon, or lamb) with no protein mixing, cold-pressed below 45\u00b0C, and with a short, transparent ingredient list. Available in puppy, adult, and working dog formulations.<\/p>\n

Why we chose it:<\/strong> The single-source protein approach makes Wilsons ideal for dogs with food sensitivities \u2014 you know exactly what protein your dog is eating, making it practical for elimination diets without switching to expensive veterinary hydrolysed food.<\/p>\n\n

2. Forthglade Cold Pressed \u2014 Best Value<\/h3>\n

Forthglade is one of the UK’s most established pet food brands (based in Devon since 1971) and their cold-pressed range delivers the core benefits of cold-pressing at the most accessible price point. Meat is always the first ingredient, grain-free varieties are available, and the recipes cover different life stages and breed sizes. For owners interested in trying cold-pressed without paying premium brand prices, Forthglade is the rational starting point.<\/p>\n\n

3. Tribal Fresh Pressed \u2014 Best for Joint Support<\/h3>\n

Tribal stands out for including green-lipped mussel \u2014 the most evidence-based natural joint supplement ingredient (see our joint supplement guide<\/a>) \u2014 directly into their cold-pressed formula. This means every meal provides passive joint support without the need for a separate supplement. The fresh meat content (not meat meal) and short ingredient list (no artificial anything) make Tribal one of the cleanest cold-pressed options available in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n

How to Transition to Cold-Pressed<\/h2>\n\n\n

Cold-pressed food is denser than extruded kibble, so you feed less by volume (typically 20-30% less by weight than equivalent extruded food). Transition gradually over 7-10 days:<\/p>\n\n

    \n
  1. Days 1-3:<\/strong> 75% current food, 25% cold-pressed<\/li>\n
  2. Days 4-6:<\/strong> 50% \/ 50%<\/li>\n
  3. Days 7-9:<\/strong> 25% current, 75% cold-pressed<\/li>\n
  4. Day 10:<\/strong> 100% cold-pressed<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    If you notice loose stools during transition, slow the pace \u2014 extend each phase by 2-3 days. Cold-pressed food is often better tolerated by dogs with sensitive digestion, but any dietary change requires gradual adjustment.<\/p>\n\n

    For ZooPlus cold-pressed options, see our Feringa Cold-Pressed Cat Food review<\/a> (ZooPlus’s own cold-pressed range). For general dry food comparison, see Best Dry Dog Food UK<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Cold-pressed dog food is the fastest-growing dry food category in the UK, driven by owners seeking a middle ground between […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3137,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"page_type":[5],"page_category":[7,108],"class_list":["post-3131","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","page_type-round-up","page_category-dogs","page_category-dog-food"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petz.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petz.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petz.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petz.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petz.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3131"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.petz.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3131\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petz.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petz.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"page_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petz.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/page_type?post=3131"},{"taxonomy":"page_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petz.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/page_category?post=3131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}