CAFRE supports innovation in pet nutrition through Invest NI funded collaboration

Date published: 30 April 2026

The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) continues to support innovation within the agri-food sector through industry-led collaborations, most recently working with new pet food venture Bran & Birdy’s to develop a range of nutritious dog gravy products designed to enhance dry kibble feeding.

This innovation project was delivered at CAFRE’s Loughry Campus, with development activity supported through Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI) Innovation Voucher funding. The collaboration enabled Bran & Birdy’s to access specialist technical expertise and facilities while accelerating the development of a market-ready product tailored to consumer and canine needs.

The project began with comprehensive market intelligence research using Invest NI’s Consumer Insight Clinic, held monthly at Loughry Campus, examining current trends within the pet food sector, particularly the growing demand for functional, palatable, and clean-label additions to standard dry dog food. Consumer insights highlighted an increasing focus on pet wellbeing, hydration, and appetite enhancement, key drivers in the concept development of the gravy range.

Building on this intelligence, a programme of recipe research and formulation was undertaken. Multiple dog gravy concepts were developed with careful consideration given to ingredient functionality, palatability, ease of use for pet owners, and compatibility with dry kibble. Recipes were designed to complement complete dog foods rather than replace them, supporting balanced nutrition while improving the overall feeding experience.

A key element of the project was nutritional profiling, ensuring the developed products aligned with relevant pet nutrition guidelines and supported Bran & Birdy’s brand values around quality, transparency, and responsible pet ownership. As part of its wider mission, Bran & Birdy’s has also committed to supporting charities that care for and rehome retired racing greyhounds, ensuring the new pet food venture delivers not only nutritional benefits for dogs, but positive social impact within the wider canine community.

CAFRE also provided guidance on labelling requirements, helping the company navigate regulatory obligations for pet food products and ensuring clear, accurate communication to consumers.

The Innovation Voucher scheme proved instrumental in enabling this collaboration, providing Bran & Birdy’s with access to applied research and development expertise that may otherwise have been out of reach at an early stage of business growth.

Garrett McCartney from Bran & Birdy’s said: “Working with CAFRE through the Innovation Voucher programme has been invaluable. Their technical expertise helped us turn our idea into a well-developed, nutritionally informed product that we can confidently bring to market.”

This project demonstrates how targeted support and industry–academic collaboration can help new companies bring innovative, value-added products to market. CAFRE is proud to play a role in supporting Northern Ireland’s growing pet food sector and looks forward to seeing Bran & Birdy’s dog gravy range progress from development to commercial success.

For more information on CAFRE’s food technology services, businesses are encouraged to get in touch and explore how collaboration can drive innovation and growth.