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This article was produced in partnership with The Pets Table, who provided samples in exchange for an honest review.
If you’re shopping for a new dog food, you might know that there are an overwhelming number of new fresh and subscription dog foods. That’s great news for interested pet parents, but it also makes it a little hard to choose among brands that offer seemingly similar high-quality, healthy goods. The Pets Table offers two types of fresh food—fresh (frozen until ready to eat) and air-dried, which is shelf-stable food like kibble. Let’s review Pets Table dog food.
Trying Out The Pets Table Dog Food
We ordered a mixed plan of Pets Table, which included about two weeks’ worth of dog food for review. We got a selection of frozen fresh recipes—beef stew with carrots and turkey casserole with broccoli—and the air-dried, shelf-stable kibble, which is baked at a low temperature to keep nutrients intact.
The texture of the fresh food is a pâté variation that leans a little on the runnier side, so it’s definitely a good idea to put unused portions right into a resealable container.
Meat protein options:
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Beef
Meats are single-source, with supporting proteins including eggs or chickpeas. Other ingredients include human-grade carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and salmon oil. There isn’t a very strong odor to any of the recipes we tried, which makes it appealing to handle and serve.
For test pup Pepper’s 40 pounds, one 11.6-ounce package was just under her full daily portion, so the plan had us feed two-thirds of the fresh food with three-quarters of a cup of the air-dried daily. If we were to feed fresh or dried only, the recommendation is to double each portion (e.g., two-thirds of a fresh package per meal or three-quarters dried per meal).
How The Pets Table Stands Out
The Pets Table is part of HelloFresh, which you might know from their meal kit services for people—so they have experience in the custom meal plan business. They keep things simple but flexible, with both fresh and dry options.
Fresh meals use turkey, chicken, or beef sourced in the U.S. Recipes are gently cooked and flash frozen. Dry food is available in chicken and beef and prepared by mixing whole ingredients, then air-drying slowly at low temperatures to preserve nutrients and flavor.
The Pets Table includes some thoughtful details in your first package, including a plastic lidded container for you to store your opened fresh food packages. Measurement lines on the packages themselves help you easily see how much you need to portion out. The feeding and transitioning instructions are very clear and easy to get started with, both printed on a sheet that comes in the box and online. Bonus? We got cute swag: an adorable Pets Table bandana for Pepper to wear.
The Air-Dried Kibble Is an Appealing Treat
Unlike many other dry foods, the Pets Table kibble had a texture like a soft jerky, giving it more of a treat feel. It was so appealing to Pepper that we thought we would try using it as a treat on walks or for training. That worked great—the pieces are easy to carry and break apart, and Pepper liked it as well as any other specialty treat. It’s also touted as more nutrient-dense than traditional kibble because of the low temperature and slow cooking method. There are two recipes: chicken and sweet potato (with grains) and beef and berries (without grains).
How Does The Pets Table Compare With Other Fresh Dog Foods?
The Pets Table | Nom Nom | JustFoodForDogs | Ollie | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Price per ounce | Fresh averages $2.89/meal; air-dried is $1.59/meal (based on 30 lb. dog) | $0.52 per ounce | $0.54 per ounce (for small box) | $0.50–$0.68 per ounce (weekly to every four weeks subscription) |
Dry and fresh options | Fresh and air-dried | Fresh frozen only | Fresh options in two forms: freezer and shelf-stable, plus a DIY kit option | Fresh and baked |
Subscription frequency | Customized for your dog | Every 4 weeks | No subscription required; autoship available weekly to every 8 weeks | Weekly, every 2 weeks, monthly |
Shelf life/storage | 6 months in freezer; 7 days in the fridge | 6 months in freezer; 7 days in fridge | Unopened thawed food, 7 days; opened, 5 days (for fish-based meals, subtract two days). | 6 months in freezer; 4 days in fridge |
Texture | very moist pâté | slightly moist chopped veggies and protein | moist pâté | coarse pâté |
Protein options (single, insect, plant) | Single-source meat proteins: beef, chicken, and turkey | Single-source meat proteins: beef, chicken, pork, turkey | Meat, fish, and plant-based options; single-source proteins | Single-source meat proteins: beef, chicken, lamb, turkey |
Human-grade | Fresh food yes, dry food no | No | Yes | Yes |
Ingredient source transparency | Somewhat—sourcing is from U.S. | Somewhat | Somewhat | Somewhat |
Customizability | Delivery frequency and meal portion recommendations are based on your pet’s weight and activity level; choose fresh, dried, or mixed deliveries | Meals are customized to your pet’s weight, condition, and activity level | Options based on weight, age, breed, and allergies, plus prescription diet support and DIY kits | Recipe recommendations available; portion sizes are customized |
Discounts | 50% off your first box + 20% off your second | Shipping is free across the 48 contiguous U.S. states; 60% off first order, plus free shipping | Free shipping on autoship and frozen over $99; flat rate for non-autoship items. 40% off first and 5% off recurring autoship orders. | 60% off first package; less frequent deliveries are cheaper |
Our Pets Table Dog Food Recommendation
Our test pup, Pepper, always gets excited about tasting a new fresh food, and this is no exception—her Pets Table dog food review is all paws up. The mixed plan, which includes dry and fresh food, is a texture treat. Her humans like the way the company includes details like an extra container for food, measurement lines on the packages—and of course we love the whole, recognizable ingredients that are human-grade.
While fresh foods always cost more compared to a dry kibble-based diet, The Pets Table does run a bit cheaper than many other fresh food brands (we couldn’t do a precise ounce-for-ounce comparison, but we were able to estimate based on per-meal cost).
Who would like this:
- Pet parents looking to make the switch to fresh food with a brand (HelloFresh) already known for customizing and delivering meals
- Pet parents looking for a convenient fresh-food subscription that’s a little more affordable than the competition
- Dogs who are picky eaters or who have diagnosed food allergies—if they can eat beef, chicken, or turkey
- Pet parents who want to mix and match wet and dry dog food
- Pet parents looking for an especially appealing dry food option
Who might look elsewhere:
- Pet parents aiming to keep a dog’s food budget to a healthy minimum (though Pets Table’s air-dried food is more budget-friendly than typical fresh)
- Those who free feed or whose schedules can’t accommodate wet/fresh feeding
- People who want more purchasing options, such as an in-store pick-up
- Dogs who have food sensitivities and need non-poultry or beef protein options, such as lamb or fish
Further Reading
- The 11 Best Subscription and Fresh Dog Food Brands: Tested by Real Dogs
- Review: Just Food For Dogs Offers Fresh Food Three Ways
- Review: A Pup Above’s Bone Broth Food Wins With Picky Eaters
- Review: Raised Right Dog Food Offers Appealing Fresh, High-Protein Food