Pure Pet Food vs Fresh-Cooked Dog Food, Which Works Best?
Feeding our pets well shouldn’t mean sacrificing convenience, nutrition or cost. While many owners still rely on traditional kibble because it’s the easiest choice, an increasing number are switching to fresher, higher-quality meals made with whole ingredients that improve digestion and overall health.
Pure Pet Food is one of the leading brands offering a healthier, minimally processed alternative to kibble. At the same time, the Fresh-cooked dog food category has grown rapidly, with many companies delivering gently prepared meals that arrive chilled or frozen.
Both options improve significantly on the typical kibble experience — but they offer very different benefits depending on your lifestyle, storage space and budget.
Below, our editors break down the similarities, key differences and overall value to help you decide which type of diet best suits your dog and your routine.
Key Similarities
- Both use natural ingredients with no artificial preservatives.
- Meals are nutritionally balanced to support dogs at every life stage.
- Pre-portioned servings can be tailored to your dog’s needs.
- Recipes focus on real meat, vegetables and wholesome carbohydrates — no mystery fillers.
Key Differences
Format
- Pure Pet Food: Air-dried “just add water” meals that rehydrate into fresh-style food.
- Fresh-cooked: Lightly cooked meals kept chilled or frozen until served.
Storage & Shelf Life
- Pure Pet Food: Can stay fresh in your cupboard for months without sacrificing nutrition.
- Fresh-cooked: Requires fridge or freezer space and strict temperature control.
Value per Meal
- Pure Pet Food: Plans start at 89p/day, so it’s the more affordable option — and beats most supermarket kibble on value.
- Fresh-cooked: Usually costs between £1.50 and £5 per serving. Prices are higher due to the cooked-and-chilled preparation and the need for cold-chain delivery, particularly for medium and large breeds.
Preparation
- Pure Pet Food: Scoop, add water, done.
- Fresh-cooked: Meals often need thawing, or at least remembering to move tomorrow’s portion from freezer to fridge.
Flexibility & Portability
- Pure Pet Food: Quite travel-friendly. Chuck a bag in your car or weekend bag and you’re set.
- Fresh-cooked: Requires constant cold storage, which limits spontaneity.
Pure Pet Food Overview
Pure Pet Food makes natural, healthy, dry dog food that takes the stress out of mealtimes — offering premium nutrition that is shelf-safe, easy to prepare and affordable.
Unlike kibble, which is heavily processed at high temperatures, Pure uses natural ingredients gently air-dried in Yorkshire to preserve nutrients, make digestion easier and real flavours that dogs go crazy for.
Pure will create a personalised plan, with options for general diets, sensitive stomachs and renal support. Ingredients are chopped small for better digestion, with no artificial additives or hidden fillers.
Where Pure Pet Food really stands out is day-to-day convenience. Their air-dried food is easy to store and requires no prep. Just add water to rehydrate and serve!
Pure starts at only £0.89p per day for a small dog — increasing depending on your dog’s build.
Fresh-cooked Dog Food Overview
Fresh-cooked dog food brands offer lightly cooked, human-quality meals made from recognisable ingredients. These meals are typically pre-portioned, tailored to your dog’s profile and free from artificial additives.
Because they’re delivered chilled or frozen, they must be stored in the fridge or freezer immediately. This cold-chain process increases cost, and portions often need to be thawed ahead of time.
With daily pricing that commonly ranges from £1.50 to £5 depending on dog size, fresh-cooked diets generally sit at the premium end of the market.
Final Verdict: Why Dog Owners Can’t Stop Talking About Pure Pet Food
Both Pure Pet Food and fresh-cooked dog food brands offer high-quality, nutrient-rich alternatives to kibble. But when you compare practicality, cost and day-to-day ease, Pure stands out for most households.
With daily costs more than 30% lower than typical cooked-fresh brands, Pure offers meaningful long-term savings — often adding up to hundreds of pounds per year. It’s also more convenient. No freezer space needed, no thawing, no last-minute meal prep. Just add water.
Pure combines the convenience of kibble with the health benefits of raw or fresh diets — without the storage headaches or premium price tag. With over 70 million meals delivered, thousands of happy customers and 91% of dogs showing improved overall health, Pure has become a trusted choice for owners who want healthy, easy, and affordable meals their dogs genuinely love.