The year was 2019, and RDBK’s Foundations Raw meals (formerly Complete) had been an ever-growing presence in the frozen section of pet stores across Canada for over 15 years. Over those years, feedback kept pouring in from happy pet parents as they saw their beloved furry family members benefiting from a diet designed for their unique needs, just as we’d seen in our own pets. Pets with allergies and intolerances were suddenly prancing with glowing, healthy coats, and picky pets were chowing down with wild abandon, living their lives with renewed vigour.
RDBK-feeding pet parents not only trusted the raw lifestyle, but they were spreading the word—which is how we met another group of raw feeders. These were pet parents with healthy pets who just wanted to give their dogs their best chance at a long, healthy, and happy life with optimal nutrition, but they didn’t need the limited ingredient diet our Foundations Raw feeders required. They wanted something easier, something that would work within their lifestyle.
After more than 15 years of supporting pet parents, we decided to go back to the drawing board. The result was our crowd-pleasing line of meals, Everyday Raw (Formerly No Frilz).
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Who is EVERYDAY RAW™ For?
Everyday Raw started off under the name No Frilz; we originally chose this name because it was emblematic of the meal’s design: a lighthearted take on serious nutrition for unscrupulous pets without food allergies or intolerances. It’s also a simpler way for pet parents to feed healthy, well-rounded raw meals without sacrificing assurances of quality.
The name “Everyday” came about as a way to emphasize the versatility of these meals—while rotational feeding is always great (the health benefits of a variety of nutritional sources are undeniable), these naturally balanced meals are formulated to AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile for adult dogs so they can be fed on their own, every day. They’re perfect for pet parents who know their pets’ likes and dislikes inside out but still want the assurance of having a nutrition expert in their corner—that’s what we’re here for! RDBK’s mission with Everyday Raw is to let you feed your dog with confidence, knowing they’re getting the right balance of proteins, vegetables, and supplements, all in one tasty and convenient package.
Speaking of Packaging…Why Did It Change?
Our Everyday Raw meals followed in the packaging footsteps of our Foundations line with sturdy, vacuum-sealed packaging that kept the food as fresh as it was when it was originally packaged, but it wasn’t quite perfect. Let’s be honest, those flat meal packs were a pain to use (and a pain to make). It got to the point where it was keeping our founder Inna up at night: she was determined to make pet nutrition as simple, effective, and accessible as possible, and those packs with their only-sometimes-works “rip here” notch just weren’t cutting it!
So the RDBK team sat down with years of feedback from our retailers and fellow pet parents, and we put our brains to the task. After months of researching, designing, and testing—then redesigning and testing it all over again until we were satisfied—we finally found the solution: more efficient and user-friendly packaging that would work for everyone.
What’s Staying the Same on EVERYDAY RAW™?
Before we get into all the details of our makeover, we want to reassure all the pet parents whose dogs love our Everyday Raw meals: we know a good thing when we see it, and we’re not interested in changing what works. We’re still offering the same protein combinations as before, and those recipes haven’t changed one bit. We’ll be honest: unless your pet can read and open meals for themselves, they won’t notice the difference in our Everyday packaging. They might sense your excitement over our convenient and colourful updates, though!
What’s Changing?
So if it's not the food itself that's changing, let's talk about what we've done to make your experience with Everyday Raw meals even more straightforward. We started outside the box (pun intended) with a fresh, colourful exterior packed with helpful information for those who are just joining the #rawrevolution—and even some tips for those of you who are old hands at healthy feeding!
On the back of the box, you'll find a daily portion estimate based on your dog's weight, so you can start feeding with confidence from the moment you crack open the box. We know some pet parents are looking for something a little more specific than that, though, and we’ve got you covered there, too—more on that later.
Once you open up the box, you'll notice the extent of information we've included goes even further—those inside flaps have some integral points about how to give your dog their best life with a variety of foods. The first flap covers some helpful reminders about rotation through the meals—yes, even though they're complete and balanced, there's rarely such a thing as too much variety! We've also included some suggestions for bowl boosters to jazz up your dog's meals every now and then.
We also recognized that raw has a few more steps than plain old kibble, and sometimes that might seem intimidating. Flip over to the other inside flap, and you’ll see we listed 6 easy steps to feeding and handling raw safely—plus a few bonus tips that’ll make the whole process just that much easier!
As for the box itself, well, we’re big fans of forests, so we’ve made all our cardboard boxes under the supervision of the Forest Stewardship Council, meaning we’re using a mix of recycled materials and fibres harvested from sustainable forests. These forests are managed so that their biodiversity and ecosystems are maintained, conserved, and in some cases, restored—all while respecting Indigenous Peoples’ legal and customary rights of ownership, use, and management.
Now let’s go inside the box: pull out one of those packages—you might have to fend off a hungry pet here—and you’ll see it’s quite a different shape from our old “sheets” of raw meals. We mentioned this before, but gosh, weren’t those a struggle to use? We stayed with the food-safe vacuum-sealing design but reimagined the packages for easy, everyday use. Easy peel covers—no more scissors!—and an option for pre-portioned ¼ lb sectioned “pots” means you can defrost just as much as you need and not a speck more. An added bonus? These trays produce 35% fewer carbon emissions and use 18% less raw materials compared to traditional vacuum packaging, so they’re not just easier to use, they’re easier on the planet.
Finally, when you look at the packs of food closer, you’ll notice another change: the names. We gave our old meal names, like salmon and beef, new names like Reef n’ Beef. These names reference the original purpose of Everyday Raw meals as a fun, lighthearted, and approachable avenue to raw nutrition. Chicken and beef is now called Farmhouse Fare; Kangaroo, lamb, and herring is called Wild Outback, and pork, salmon and turkey is called Classic Harvest. We think the new names are less of a mouthful—but still offer the same full mouths as their original names.
Your Partner In Pet Health
Red Dog Blue Kat’s origin story is a key part of how we choose to create meals for pets. Learning what was right for our individual dogs and cats and seeing it work was beyond encouraging, it was empowering. Our goal has always been to replicate that feeling of control and confidence for you, our dedicated pet parents; we were never satisfied with just crafting meals and telling you to feed them—we know your pet is unique! That’s why we created an assortment of tools to help you learn what your pet needs.
We created a transition guide for new pawrents—it’s an easy, foolproof way to get your dog on track to their new, healthy lifestyle.
Our Feeding Guide and Portion Calculator are perfect for pets both new to raw and long-term feeders. The portion calculator gives you a great starting point on how much to feed for every animal (based on exercise level and age), from your adult dog who’s just having fun to your large breed or working dog. It also specifies how much of each protein to give, as in x amount of grams of buffalo compared to x amount of chicken to get the same amount of calories. Need a little more help trying to control your pet’s weight or ensuring your growing pet is getting enough nutrients? That’s where our feeding guide comes in—fill out the quick questionnaire and our on-staff Veterinary Nutrition Advisor will give you some free guidance!
Finally, we’ve always been fond of going the extra mile, which is why we’ve been dedicated to something called “live labelling” (or real-time labelling). Technically, companies can wait up to six months to update their food labels after changing their ingredients or nutritional information—sometimes they wait even longer! We’ve always printed our labels in-house, so you can always trust that what’s on the label is exactly what you’re feeding your pet at every meal.
New Look, Same Us
We know that repacking our food with a new name isn’t exactly revolutionary, but it feels that way to us. We’re finally representing our food (and ourselves) the way we feel it should be seen: fun, unique, and most importantly, fresh. We’ve gone the extra mile because we know that’s what you’re doing for your pet: you care enough to give them the very best, and more. This update is nothing short of what you deserve for all your hard work—but we’re not done yet! We believe that self-improvement is a journey, not a destination, so we’re still listening and learning to all your feedback, especially your experiences with our new packaging. Click here to take part in our survey and let us know how your raw journey is going—we’d love to hear from you!