Following on from their acquisition of The Wholesome Dog in April 2021, this latest merger confirms Lyka’s strong position in the fresh pet food space, with the company serving over 4 million bowls of healthy, human-grade meals to thousands of happy puppers across Australia.
Animal Medicines Australia (AMA) released the ‘Pets and the Pandemic’ report, which estimates that the Aussie pet market grew to $30B in 2021, with $13B spent on food alone.
Due to the Covid-19 puppy boom, 69% of households now have a pet, with pet parents stating that taste preferences food quality are the most relevant when selecting food.
Lyka Pet Food takes advantage of growing demand
With fresh food becoming a sought-after option amongst pet parents, the acquisition allows Lyka to expand their mission and continue to challenge the world of traditional, highly processed dog food options that are available to consumers.
It also allows them to educate pet owners on the benefits of fresh food and make it easier for them to experience the difference that a fresh food diet can make on a dog’s life.
“With our shared passion for pet wellness, we are so excited to be welcoming the Happy Tales Kitchen customers to the Lyka pack.” says Anna Podolsky, founder of Lyka Pet Food.
“For over two years now, Happy Tales Kitchen has been delivering fresh, high-quality, nutritionist-crafted meals to hungry pups around Australia, and we are so proud to be able to continue offering their passionate pet parents a varied selection of vet-formulated recipes.”
“2022 is shaping up to be a huge year for Lyka and we can’t wait to extend our offering to the Happy Tales customers and help them to continue on their fresh food journey!”
“We have also developed a Mergers & Acquisitions toolkit that makes us desirable partners to businesses looking to be acquired. The toolkit allows us to move more efficiently during the acquisition, ensuring an easy and seamless process for businesses and customers alike.”
Lyka Pet Food’s shared mission made partnership easy
Founded by Johnny Gam, whose family has been in the food industry for over 30 years; he worked alongside Robbie Brender and Nicole Katzman to bring Happy Tales Kitchen to life.
Just like Lyka, this dog food subscription service has been built on a passion for pets and nutritious, wholesome food, so this partnership just makes sense. JohnnyGam says, “We are pet-loving foodies, and are so pleased to be merging with Lyka.”
“They are market leaders in what is an ever-growing space, and our shared values and mission to bring awareness and change to the industry is so closely aligned. I am confident that our customers and their dogs are going to feel right at home with the Lyka pack!”.
Lyka is on a mission to shake up the Australian pet food industry by flipping the status quo and putting nutrition first. Lyka provides fresh lightly cooked recipes formulated by Integrative Vet and Lyka co-founder, Dr. Matthew Muir, alongside veterinary nutritionists.
Lyka Pet Food natural and human grade
Each recipe contains a hand-selected mix of all-natural, human-grade, whole food ingredients. Lyka’s use of a proprietary algorithm gives them the opportunity to customise meal plans for each individual dog based on their age, breed, weight, activity level and sensitivities, to deliver pre-portioned, ready-to-serve meals direct to their customers’ doors.
“Without a doubt, dogs are at the heart of the family. With Covid puppies growing up and many Australians re-prioritising their lives post-lockdown, pet parents are changing their lifestyles as they re-socialise.”, said Anna Podolsky, founder of Lyka.
“And this means making healthier and more convenient choices when it comes to feeding their pups and keeping them happy and in tip-top shape. Thankfully, pet parents are continuing to go above and beyond since returning to their pre-pandemic lives, and are still thinking carefully about the food their pets eat and what’s going into their bowls”
“In the same way that we care about what we eat, pet owners are scrutinising ingredient lists and cooking processes more than ever, all while juggling full-time jobs, families and other activities, thus demand for nutritious food and transparency with a brand they can trust.”
As well as being much healthier, studies have shown that dogs live 3 years longer on average when consuming a fresh food diet, compared to that of a processed commercial diet with many unknown ingredients. Founded on passion for dog nutrition and a desire to help Aussie dogs, Lyka is doing just that. Big things are happening – watch this fresh food space!
