The wild bird food specialist Welzhofer in Schönebach has acquired a majority holding in the Berlin-based dog food supplier Eat Small. In a joint press release, both companies refer to their extensive, in-depth competence in the processing of insects in food. The two branded manufacturers expect of their merger to be able to reach consumers faster and with a greater impact in future with the combined trigger of “animal welfare and climate protection” to win them over to the advantages of insect-based foods.
Gema Aparicio and Veronique Glorieux, the two founders of Eat Small, will remain managing partners of Eat Small in the future as well as retaining responsibility for their respective operational spheres. The brand name “eat small” will also be retained as an independent name. Eat Small will have access to the distribution, logistics and drop-shipping processes of the Welzhofer/Donath brands as well as to the seven-person Welzhofer field sales team.
Welzhofer/Donath managing director Steven Sagrodnik underlines the strategic importance of the new brand constellation for the trade: “Together with specialist retailers, we have very successfully turned the wild bird category from a niche to a premium segment in the last few years. We now want to repeat this jointly with insect-based pet food. Dry dog food in particular is the undisputed domain of the speciality trade, and together we intend to usher in here a new chapter of healthy, sustainable dog food with one another. We will then make the market together with our pet retail partners in the specialist trade.”
