Scrumbles Vs Harringtons

Nov 15, 2024

Choosing the right food for your pet can be overwhelming, especially with so many brands claiming to be the best. This guide compares two popular UK-based pet food brands, Scrumbles and Harringtons, examining ingredients, nutritional quality, sustainability practices, service options, and customer reviews to help you make the best choice for your pet.

And if you’re thinking about switching to Scrumbles, we’ll finish with some tips on how to transition your furry friend smoothly.

SIGNS YOUR PET MIGHT NEED A NEW DIET

It’s best to avoid changing your pet’s food frequently, and any dietary changes should be gradual to avoid upset stomachs and other digestive issues like extra flatulence. There are lots of reasons why you might want to find a new cat or dog food. Maybe your pet is fussy and has gone off his or her food, or doesn't seem excited at mealtimes. Perhaps you’re looking for a better quality recipe, or to resolve digestive issues, or have noticed signs that your pet might benefit from a dietary change. Some of these signs include:

Persistent itchy skin or dandruff
Digestive issues like loose stools or excessive flatulence
A dull coat
Lethargy or less enthusiasm for walkies or play

SCRUMBLES VS HARRINGTONS

So now we know some of the reasons you might be looking to change your pet’s food, it’s time to review which is best for you. Both brands offer a range of dry and wet dog and cat food, as well as lots of flavour options but beyond this there's a big difference in their service, storage, cost, and sustainability. Read on for a section-by-section breakdown of Harringtons and Scrumbles, designed to help you clearly understand their differences and choose the best pet food for your furry friend’s health and happiness.

SCRUMBLES OVERVIEW

Scrumbles is a family-owned, independent pet food company, founded in 2018 by Aneisha and Jack. Scrumbles dry food, wet food, and treats recipes focus on gut health, with natural ingredients and added pre, pro or postbiotics to support digestive health. Scrumbles products contain a higher percentage of meat or fish vs alternatives and include grain-free and gluten-free options. All the recipes are free from artificial colours and preservatives and additionally avoid added sugars and salts.

Scrumbles is widely available and customers are able to order via a one-off and subscription service directly via Scrumbles.co.uk, as well as from other online retailers like Zooplus and Amazon, or in-store via Pets at Home, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, ASDA, and Morrisons.

HARRINGTONS OVERVIEW:

Harringtons, owned by Inspired Pet Nutrition has been around longer and is known for accessible, budget-friendly options. Harringtons offers a variety of dry food, wet food, and treats for cats and dogs, and offers both grain-free and grain-inclusive options. All the recipes are crafted with natural ingredients and free from artificial colours and preservatives.

Harringtons also offers a one-off and subscription directly via their website and can be found in similar retailers.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredient Focus	Scrumbles	Harringtons

Protein Content

45-77% meat or fish

30% meat or fish

Ingredient inclusions

All natural ingredients with added probiotics, prebiotics or postbiotics

Natural ingredients, may contain grains

Ingredient exclusions

No artificial preservatives. No added sugars, salts or pea protein, gluten, dairy, soy, or egg

No artificial preservatives.

Scrumbles emphasise a high protein content and make a big deal about gut health, incorporating natural ingredients and avoiding common allergens like dairy, gluten and soy. Scrumbles dry dog food contains a minimum of 50% meat or fish going up to 70%, and for cats 70% to 77%.

The ingredients are sourced responsibly and are pollo-pescatarian friendly, avoiding red meat, to reduce their environmental impact. None of Scrumbles recipes (cat or dog) contain added pea protein, which can be difficult to digest, and avoid added sugars or salt. All dry food recipes contain probiotics and postbiotics, with some recipes additionally including prebiotics. The range of Scrumbles wet food and treats have prebiotics for gut health.

PRICING

Scrumbles and Harringtons both offer subscriptions on their websites for ongoing discounts, allowing customers to save on regular orders.

Scrumbles is generally higher priced per kg, with the added benefit of probiotics and a higher meat content, for better quality and gut health benefits. The higher meat content means every gram is more nutrient dense than Harringtons therefore the cost per day could be comparable to Harringtons.

Dry Dog Food:

Size

Cost

Cost on Subscription

Cost per Day

Scrumbles Dry Dog Food

2kg

£12

£10.80

10kg dog 165g

£0.99 per day

Harringtons Dry Dog Food

1.7kg

£4.99

£4.24

10kg dog 180g

£0.53 per day

Wet Dog Food:

	Size	Cost	Cost on Subscription	Cost per Day
Scrumbles Wet Dog Food	150g	£1.50	£1.35	10kg dog 375g £3.75 per day
Harringtons Wet Dog Food	150g x6	£5	£4.24	10kg dog 500g £2.70 per day

Dry Cat Food:

	Size	Cost	Cost on Subscription	Cost per Day
Scrumbles Dry Cat Food	750g	£7.50	£6.75	4kg cat 48g £0.48 per day
Harringtons Dry Cat Food	2kg	£8.49	£7.22	4kg cat 55g £0.23 per day

Wet Cat Food:

	Size	Cost	Cost on Subscription	Cost per Day
Scrumbles Wet Cat Food	80g x6	£6.70	£6.03	4kg cat 250g £3.49 per day
Harringtons Wet Cat Food	85g x72	£33	£28.05	4kg cat 255g £1.38 per day

Dog Treats:

	Size	Cost	Cost on Subscription
Scrumbles Dog Treats	100g	£2.60	£2.34
Harringtons Dog Treats	100g x7	£12.53	£10.65

PRODUCT COMPARISONS

Adult Dry Dog Food

Scrumbles Chicken Dry Dog Food 2kg vs Harringtons Superfood Grain-Free Chicken & Vegetables Dry Food 1.7kg

	Scrumbles	Harringtons
All About Dog Food Rating	70%	66%
Cost	£12.00 for 2kg (£6 per kg)	£7.50 for 1.7kg (£4.41 per kg)
% of Meat In Recipe	60%	30%
Made In	UK	UK
Composition	60% Chicken (28% Dehydrated Chicken, 26% Freshly Prepared Chicken, 4% Chicken Fat, 2% Chicken Stock), 20.3% Rice, 13.5% Oats, 2.5% Dried Alfalfa, 1.5% Salmon Oil, Vitamins & Minerals, 0.7% Whole Linseed, 0.4% Dried Carrot, 0.02% Yucca (Prebiotic), Dried Spearmint.	30% Chicken (Including, 21% Dried Chicken*, 5% Chicken Fat, min 4% Freshly Prepared Chicken), Sweet Potato (26%), Potato, Peas, Beans (8%), Linseed (4%), Beet Pulp (3%), Minerals, blend (1500mg/kg) (Rosemary, Spinach, Pomegranate and Blueberries), FOS (1500mg/kg), Yeasts (1000mg/kg), Seaweed (1000mg/kg)

Adult Dry Cat Food

Scrumbles Chicken Dry Cat Food 2.5kg vs Harringtons Chicken Dry Cat Food 2kg

	Scrumbles	Harringtons
Cost	£22 for 2.5kg (£8.80 per kg)	£8.49 for 2kg (£4.47 per kg)
% of Meat In Recipe	75%	50%
Made In	UK	UK
Composition	75% Chicken 38% Dehydrated Chicken, 26% Freshly Prepared Chicken, 8% Chicken Fat, 3% Chicken Stock, 18.5% Rice, 2.5% Dried Alfalfa, 1.5% Salmon Oil, Vitamins & Minerals, 0.4% Dried Cranberry, 0.07% Dried Carrot, 0.015% Yucca (Prebiotic), Dried Spearmint	50% Chicken (including Freshly Prepared Chicken 7%, Dried Chicken 37%, Chicken Fat 4%, Chicken Gravy 2%), Rice, Maize, Beet Pulp, Minerals, Salmon Oil 1%, Chicory Extract (0.09%, Inulin 0.05%), Yucca Extract (0.02%)

*Prices taken from scrumbles.co.uk and harringtonspetfood.com websites respectively. May be subject to change.

SUSTAINABILITY

Scrumbles is a certified B Corporation, certifying in 2019. This verifies our commitment across all aspects of sustainability, from environmental to social, with a score of 90.8. Additionally 1% of all sales are donated to environmental and social causes as a 1% for the planet member

All the packaging, excluding the wet food film lids, is 100% recyclable, and the majority of recipes are made in the UK.

Harringtons environmental mission is bronze certified by Investors in the Environment. Their sustainability efforts focus on offering environmentally friendly options across their product lines, with an emphasis on recyclability.

WHAT DO CUSTOMERS SAY ABOUT SCRUMBLES?

Scrumbles has a higher product rating boasting 4.5 on Trustpilot. Many customers report improvements in their pets' digestion, skin, and coat health. Positive reviews often note reduced allergy symptoms and higher energy levels in pets. Harringtons have a slightly lower rating of 4.3. Customers appreciate the affordability and variety, which suits different dietary needs, especially for those seeking grain-free or grain-inclusive options.

For example Maria was pleased with our wet dog food and the impact its had on her pooch’s energy.

This customer couldn’t believe the difference they saw in their dog's allergy symptoms after tucking into some Scrumbles dog food.

Cheryl was trilled to find a solution to her cats IBS:

CONCLUSION: WHICH BRAND IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Scrumbles may be the right choice if:

You prioritise high protein content and added digestive support.
You’re seeking a brand focused on gut health and allergy-friendly ingredients.
You're looking to avoid added sugars and salts.

Harringtons could be ideal if:

You’re looking for a budget-friendly option without compromising on natural ingredients.
You're looking for grain-inclusive products.

Both brands offer solid, natural pet food options, allowing you to choose based on your pet's health needs, dietary preferences, and your budget.

HOW TO SWITCH TO SCRUMBLES

We always recommend transitioning to our gut-friendly recipes slowly to reduce the risk of upset tums. Every cat and dog is different and you may need to transition more slowly for a more sensitive soul and for puppies or kittens. To transition, gradually increase the portion of Scrumbles to your old food. Starting off with 25% of Scrumbles and 75% of the old food, working your way up to 100% Scrumbles by the end of the period.

By following this process, you should be able to introduce the new recipe seamlessly. However, even so, it is quite normal to see some changes in their stools or flatulence during this time. By the end of the transition, they should be back to normal, or ideally even better!

If you have any questions about our recipes or need any help, drop us a line at hello@scrumbles.co.uk