Dogs are (hu)man’s best friend. We get to share part of our lives with our best buddies, but we are there for their entire lives. Of course, you want to give them the best in life. That’s the philosophy behind BuddyMeal: personalised pet nutrition that gives each dog the nutrients they need, from puppies to senior dogs of all breeds.
“Personalised pet nutrition has been gaining traction in Europe for several years, and I had seen that development first-hand through my experience in consumer goods and pet food,” shares Benjamin Callens, founder and CEO of BuddyMeal. “After my family and I moved to South Africa and adopted our dog, Buddy, I went looking for a similar personalised option here. What I found was a wide selection of premium brands but very little individual guidance to help pet owners understand which food and portion were right for their particular dog.”
He shares that other dog owners expressed the same concern: they cared deeply about what they feed their dogs but were not always sure they were getting it right.
“That led us to develop BuddyMeal as a personalised dog-nutrition service. Dog owners complete an online questionnaire, and our nutrition algorithm uses the information to determine the appropriate food and exact daily portion for the dog.”
Their e-commerce model was a natural fit because it makes the process easy for the customer. “Owners can create and update their dog’s profile online, receive a personalised feeding plan, and have the food delivered directly to their door. As a direct-to-consumer business, we can also avoid traditional retail mark-ups and put more of that value into the product’s quality,” Callens explains.
From Development to Launch
Development began in 2024 and took almost two years. “A significant amount of work went into developing the formulations, finding high-quality ingredients, building and testing the nutrition algorithm, and ensuring that the product met the applicable regulatory and nutritional requirements,” Callens elaborates. “BuddyMeal officially went live on 1 September 2026. In the first month, more than 1 500 people completed the online questionnaire and received a personalised feeding plan, and approximately 200 placed their first order.
“Some of those early customers are now receiving their second orders, so the initial response has been encouraging. We are still a very young business, but the early uptake suggests that there is real interest in a more personalised and convenient approach to dog nutrition. We are also actively following up with customers to understand how their dogs are doing and to address any issues quickly,” he adds.
A Questionnaire Underpinned by A Nutrition Algorithm
Because the business uses an e-commerce model, it required a method to firstly gain an understanding of what the customer is looking for, but also information about the pet to truly deliver personalised nutrition.
“The questionnaire came from a simple problem: most dog owners are presented with a large number of products and claims but very little guidance based on the needs of the individual dog. The questionnaire replaces that guesswork with a structured, personalised process.
“It covers the dog’s breed, age, weight, body condition, activity level, sensitivities and health goals. Our nutrition algorithm uses that information to determine the right food and exact daily portion for the dog,” he says. The result is a meal plan that is unique to each dog and can evolve as the dog does, for example, when a puppy grows into adulthood, a dog’s activity level changes, or the dog reaches a healthier weight.
“Customers can update their dog’s profile when its circumstances or needs change, allowing the feeding plan to be adjusted accordingly. It also gives us information that conventional shelf-based pet-food businesses generally do not have. Combined with customer feedback on areas such as weight, stool quality, coat and appetite, this helps us to review and refine our meal plans over time.
Callens says that any changes to formulations or meal plans are checked and approved by a certified animal nutritionist before being introduced.
Not Just Pet Food, but Animal Nutrition
Dogs are different from humans, with different health needs and biological processes. Although there are overlaps in what humans and dogs can eat, it doesn’t mean that it is always the healthiest choice. Additionally, the portions are also not always suited for dogs of different sizes and breeds.
“We use carefully selected, high-quality ingredients and source locally wherever possible. Where local suppliers do not meet our quality standards, we import specific ingredients. Quality comes first, rather than convenience or cost,” Callens states.
Food safety is built into every step. “Our food is produced under HACCP food-safety controls, with batch traceability on every production run. Each order is prepared according to the dog’s personal plan, weighed and sealed in resealable packaging. Every bag has a personalised label containing the dog’s name and feeding instructions and can be traced back to its production batch.
“All BuddyMeal food is regularly laboratory tested and formulated to FEDIAF nutritional guidelines, the leading European standard for complete and balanced pet nutrition.”
He explains that every meal-plan combination is reviewed and confirmed by a certified animal nutritionist before it is supplied. “Our system has also been rigorously tested across a wide range of dog profiles to ensure that every outcome meets FEDIAF and South African nutritional standards.”
What makes BuddyMeal food different from off-the-shelf products is the specialised formulas for health concerns like weight management.
“When an owner completes a dog’s profile, we consider factors including its current weight, body condition, age, life stage and activity level. Our nutrition algorithm uses this information to determine not only the appropriate food but also the dog’s precise daily portion.
“For dogs that are overweight, the feeding guidelines are designed to support gradual progress towards a healthier weight, while other dogs receive portions intended to help them maintain a healthy body condition. Owners can update the profile as their dog’s weight or circumstances change, allowing us to adjust the feeding plan over time.”
Dietary requirements with regard to allergies are also a priority.
“Our food is gluten-free, soy-free, maize-free and wheat-free as standard, and customers can also choose grain-free and chicken-free options for different dietary requirements,” he explains.
“Where a highly technical nutrition question or health concern arises, we obtain input from our nutrition team. Our formulations and meal plans are continuously reviewed, and any change is checked and approved by a certified animal nutritionist before it is introduced.”
E-commerce Beats Shelf Space when It Comes to Distribution
Opting for e-commerce when distributing the highly personalised products just made sense.
“We recognised that choosing the right food is only one part of the challenge. Dog owners also need to know how much to feed and when to order again. Our subscription model brings those elements together.”
Once a feeding plan has been created, the food is delivered according to the dog’s needs, removing the need for the owner to remember to restock or repeatedly work out the right quantity.
“Convenience is particularly important for people managing busy households or feeding more than one dog, especially when those dogs are at different life stages or have different nutritional needs. Instead of buying one generic bag and using it across several dogs, each dog can have an individual meal plan and daily portion. The broader aim is to make good nutrition easier rather than more complicated. Owners should not need specialist knowledge or have to visit several different shops to work out what to feed their dogs,” he points out.
And this is something that pet owners can look forward to benefiting their feline friends too.
“We are already developing a cat-food range, which we plan to introduce in 2027. Our medium-term ambition is to build a trusted South African pet-nutrition brand known for high-quality personalised food and convenience,” he emphasises.
“In time, we also see opportunities to use technology and pet-health data to make feeding plans even more responsive to the individual animal’s needs. The immediate priority, however, is to establish the dog-food service, learn from our early customers, and continue improving the experience before expanding the range,” he concludes.
Dogs are (hu)man’s best friend. We get to share part of our lives with our best buddies, but we are there for their entire lives.… Read More
