Javier and Ruth Marriott, the husband-wife duo behind A Pup Above, never set out to start a business.
“It just happened organically out of our search for a food for our pup Lola,” Ruth Marriott recalled. “We wanted to feed Lola a fresh food that wasn’t kibble. At the time, raw food was the only fresh food option on the market and she didn’t like it so I started cooking for her.”
After countless weekends spent cooking up recipes, they finally got the “paws up” from Lola.
“Lola has refined tastes,” says Ruth Marriott. “If she likes it, we know it will work for other dogs."
What sets A Pup Above apart in the gently cooked category is their unique sous-vide cooking process. This is a cooking process that high-end restaurants around the world use to perfectly cook meats and other proteins. “The slow-cooking process of sous-vide makes the meat extra tender and moist, creating this natural meat gravy that even the pickiest of dogs like Lola will go crazy over,” says Marriott.
The cooking process also preserves the whole food nutrients creating a healthier food and enables A Pup Above to have 72% more protein than other gently cooked foods on the market.
The flavor and nutrition benefits you get from sous-vide makes it a win-win solution for pups and pup parents who want something that’s both tasty and healthy.
In 2021, the brand has expanded to 600 new pet stores across the Southeast and West Coast, including major chains Hollywood Feed, Mud Bay, Pet Supplies Plus, and Tomlinson’s.
The A Pup Above menu of flavors includes Turkey Pawella, Porky’s Luau, Texas Beef Stew and Chicka Chicka Bow Wow. All four recipes are made using 100% human-grade ingredients, non-gmo veggies and fruits, and meats with no added antibiotics or hormones.
"We've been blown away by how much A Pup Above has grown in the past year,” says Ruth. “As we expand to other regions, we know A Pup Above will continue to stand out and resonate with dog parents who want better for your pup, fresh food options for their dog children.”
With their national expansion with Animal Supply rolling out this month, A Pup Above expects to be in 1,000 stores by end of 2021. This month, it is set to rollout to additional Pet Supplies Plus stores and Pet People stores across the nation.
“We are proud to partner exclusively with the neighborhood pet channel to grow the gently cooked category. We have several programs to support our brand’s growth in pet stores. These include a sampling program and education program to make as easy as possible for customers and store employees to try and learn about the product,” says Ruth.