| ||||
 | ||||
 | ||||
 | ||||
| ||||
 | ||||
| ||||
 | ||||
| ||||
 | ||||
| ||||
Manchester, Vermont - December 26, 2008
An industrial kitchen in Manchester is stocked with many of the ingredients any bakery would have, but this business is for the dogs.
Neil Reilly of Wagatha's Dog Treats explains, "People are using pets almost as surrogates for children."
Wagatha's produces organic dog biscuits. They're part of a large and growing pet food and gift market estimated at about $41 billion a year. Reilly says, "Of that, the organic section is the fastest-growing segment, so we're in the sweet spot, it's really nice."
Reilly was a Wall Street commodities trader who gave up the city life for a quiet Vermont venture. He renovated Burton Snowboards' former plant and partnered with a professional chef, Norman Levitz. Levitz says, "Most often, pet food is made from food not edible for human beings."
But because he had years and years of restaurant experience, Levitz designed recipes using ingredients from human food. Whole wheat flour and allspice are just some of them. He explains, "I just didn't feel right about producing something I wasn't proud of and wouldn't eat myself."
So he does eat his own dog treats, and offered me one. I have to admit, it wasn't bad at all. They taste like thick gourmet crackers. With flavors like Tuscan tomato & herb, cranberry cheddar, and maple oatmeal with bananas and apples, the biscuits sound like human food too.
Rabbis have even certified them Kosher for observant Jewish households. Levitz says, "We're one of the few in the industry doing that."
When some Chinese-made pet food was found to contain harmful chemicals, the safe, all-natural approach here paid off in a big way. Business, both direct and wholesale, has quadrupled since 2007. You can find Wagatha's in 48 states and countries as far away as the Middle East.
Neil Reilly beams, "It really matters in the business world when you say something's Made in Vermont."
Buoyed by the strength of the organics industry, Wagatha's expects continued growth for their Made in Vermont treats from buyers who pamper their pets, and wouldn't give them anything they wouldn't eat themselves.
Most organic products including these biscuits come at a premium price. Wagatha's treats are about $8 per container, and are sold at retailers around the state. Some include City Market and Scribbles in Burlington, Healthy Living in South Burlington, Noah's Ark in Colchester, the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op, and Catamount Pet Supply in Rutland. Wagatha's also sells treats direct from its website.
Jack Thurston - WCAX News - Made in Vermont
