BGF backs Scrumbles to support its rapid growth in pet nutrition

BGF has completed a £6 million investment in natural pet food brand Scrumbles. BGF’s funding will enable the expansion of the company’s senior team and support the continued growth of its omni-channel business model. The investment was led by an all-female deal team—Daina Spedding, Isabella Fox and Daria Polunina—who are “delighted to be investing in a purpose-driven business with a diverse team”.

Founded in 2018 and based in London, Scrumbles provides nutritious, natural and ‘gut friendly’ food for cats and dogs, through a range of high quality, natural recipes. Scrumbles has achieved significant growth to date, with revenues trebling since inception. In that time, the firm has secured listings for its pet food in major UK retailers, including Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsburys and Pets at Home, as well as establishing a successful direct-to-consumer channel and a strong online sales footprint.

Scrumbles also achieved B Corp recertification this year, originally certifying in 2018, recognising its high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.

Scrumbles was founded by a husband-and-wife team, with Aneisha Soobroyen serving as CEO, alongside her husband and co-founder Jack Walker, who both have considerable corporate FMGC experience. The establishment of Scrumbles was inspired by the poor digestive health issues experienced by the founders’ pets, helping them identify the need for a more nutritious range of pet food, containing probiotics to aid gut health and digestion.

Today, all manufacturing is undertaken in the UK and the firm constantly innovates to streamline its packaging and reduce its environmental impact. BGF’s investment will enable the appointment of key hires, including a new Finance Director, and increased marketing to support the firm’s ongoing expansion across all of its sales channels. As part of the transaction, Mike Brehme (founder of Clipper tea) will join the board as NXC, and BGF’s Daria Polunina will join Scrumbles’ board as a non-executive director.

Aneisha Soobroyen, CEO of Scrumbles said: “We are delighted to have the support of BGF, an experienced growth investor, as we embark on the next stage of our journey. Pet parents today are more conscious than ever about the health of their cats and dogs and recognise the important role nutrition plays in their wellbeing. We are excited to work with BGF to bring the Scrumbles offering to more customers and support more pets’ digestive health.”

Daina Spedding, investor at BGF, said: “BGF is thrilled to be backing Scrumbles, an exciting business with an ambitious growth strategy. Pet nutrition is a resilient and growing market and Scrumbles is well positioned to serve the increasing demand for healthier, natural food for pets. We look forward to supporting Aneisha and Jack as they continue to expand the business and build on their significant success to date.”