Arden grange

[GinnyB]

I'm confused.......
Trying to order a new supply for the girls and can only see food for working dogs on Berrieswood. Also, the bags on there are 15k whilst the bags on the AG site are only 12k. I'm assuming that they are two different products and that I need to stick to the stuff on the AG site?

[elaine.e]

Interesting (seen from the perspective of someone who used to be a VAT inspector - me)

Arden Grange has a Breeder's Club. People who join sign a declaration to say the food they are purchasing is for working dogs and are then sold AG adult in a different bag and VAT free. I think it's exactly the same product as normal AG adult but has been bagged and labelled differently. As AG are "holding it out for sale" as a working dog food they don't have to charge VAT. It's not illegal. Other manufacturers do it, even raw food producers like Natural Instinct, whose working varieties are the same as the normal varieties apart from the addition of some extra Vitamin C.

Berrieswood are selling exactly that food even though the AG Breeder's Club rules state that the working food isn't to be sold on. However, if there's any dispute over that it's between AG and Berrieswood, not between AG and Berrieswood customers.

So if the Berrieswood price is good, which I'm sure it will be as it's VAT free, go for it

[supergirl]

No they are the same size - Arden Grange have switched to 12kg bags (as they are easier to handle), Berriwood probably have some of the old sized bags, nothing wrong with them - I'm just on my last 15kg bag and the best before date is valid until the end of the year.

Just not as good value as 15kg bags.

[GinnyB]

Thanks for the replies. I did wonder if the 15k bags were old stock but at the same time I didn't want to risk getting a food that might take more to work off - Elsie is a lazy mare and would be at risk of doing an impression of an exploding sparrow if she was fed any more than she is.....

I'm sure the 15k bags I've always had from AG are marked as breeders bags whilst the ones from other suppliers are coloured bags (as opposed to the brown sacks from AG), so maybe it is a tax issue.

[Carol09]

We always used to use 15kg bags, we bought from Berriewood or wherever was cheaper at the time.  It's all the same stuff. We then noticed the 12 kg bags and they reckon it's "easier to carry" and all that but I noticed prices were not coming down in line with the smaller bags.  I wrote to Arden Grange (well sent an e-mail) stating that the prices were not coming down but indeed they were just trying to provide less food for the money.  They never replied, so it seems I was right.

If I could be bothered I would change brand, but it took ages to find Douglas a food that would not give him the runs.

[GinnyB]

That's the trouble isn't it? I wouldn't consider changing food because it's always suited the girls so well. To be honest, I think they will all jump on the bandwagon once they see AG are getting away with it.