Dog food labels list ingredients heaviest first, so the top seven tell you what the bag is mostly made of. We put ours beside two of Ireland's best-known brands. Have a look, then decide.
Straight off the packs, in label order. The first ingredient is the heaviest.
First 7 ingredients as listed on pack, heaviest first, taken from each brand's own published ingredient list for the products named. All three are complete dry foods for adult dogs. Royal Canin and Burns are trade marks of their respective owners and are shown for comparison only.
None of that is hidden. It's printed on every bag β in small type, on the back. We've just put it where you can see it.
What's in every Essential recipe
It's not clever marketing. It's what's actually in the bag.
Every Essential recipe starts with fresh meat or fish, weighed before cooking. Not meal, not "protein", not derivatives.
Sweet potato and peas for slow energy. No grain, no wheat, no maize, no soy. Nothing in the bag that's only there to make it heavier.
Cooked low and slow for steady energy release. Calmer dogs, better digestion, no sugar spikes.
Four grain-free adult recipes, all 74β83% meat and fish, all starting with fresh meat. Small kibble in the 2.5kg bag for small dogs, larger kibble in the 10kg. The more you order, the more you save.
Verified reviews from essentialfoods.ie customers.
All About Dog Food β the UK & Ireland's independent dog-food comparison site β rates Essential's Living range 90%+, putting it among the highest-rated dog foods available in Ireland. They score on ingredient quality, not advertising budgets.
"Our collie used to be slow to jump in and eat but now loving the Essential food line. All of them seem to work a treat!"
"Milo loves the food, he's always excited when it's dinner time. He needs a high-protein option because of his hip dysplasia and it works miracles for him."
"Love this food for my dog."
"I was recommended Essential Foods many years ago and have been very pleased with both the company and the dog food. They are always very helpful when choosing the right food. Our dog is now 14."
"Can't fault the customer service from Essential Foods, and my dog is very happy with their dog food."
"Perfect π"
Essential Foods has been Ireland's home of luxury lifestyle dog food for over eight years. Thousands of Irish dogs eat Essential every day, from Tipperary terriers to Dublin labradors, and we've shipped it to every county in the country.
We're not a warehouse. We're dog people who answer the phone, help you pick the right recipe, and get it to your door next day with DPD. If your dog doesn't love it, talk to us.
Choose your recipeWe compared three complete dry foods for adult dogs and listed the first seven ingredients exactly as each brand prints them, in the order they print them. Ingredient lists are legally ordered by weight, so the top seven is the bulk of the bag. We haven't added or reworded anything.
Chicken meal and dehydrated poultry protein are rendered: cooked down, dried and ground to a powder before they go in the food. Fresh chicken is meat, weighed before cooking. Both are legal ingredients; we simply prefer to start every recipe with the fresh kind.
Per bag, yes. Per day, it's closer than you'd think, because a food with more meat and no filler feeds in smaller portions. A 30kg dog on Superior Living needs about 326g a day, so a 10kg bag lasts a month β around β¬2.77 a day. Try our free calculator for your own dog.
Superior Living (chicken & duck) is our most popular all-rounder. Highland Living (turkey, salmon & beef) has no chicken protein. Nautical Living (all fish) suits sensitive, itchy skin. Estate Living (lamb & venison) is for red-meat lovers. All four are grain-free and can be rotated.
The 2.5kg has a smaller kibble suited to small dogs and is a great trial bag. The 10kg has a larger kibble for medium, large and giant breeds and works out far better value per kilo.
Mix a little more Essential into the old food each day over 7β10 days. The free measuring cup in your first delivery makes portions easy.
Order before 2pm and DPD delivers next working day anywhere in Ireland. Delivery is β¬7.50 on orders under β¬60, and free over β¬60 or on any 10kg bag.
No meat derivatives, no grain, no wheat, no maize, no soy, no artificial colours or preservatives. Just fresh meat or fish first, then sweet potato, peas, egg, and a blend of fruit, veg and herbs.
Next-day delivery Β· Free measuring cup & welcome treats for new customers Β· Rated 90%+
Choose your recipe