Making a dogs dinner of bakery!
Learn more about the founder of Marge & Mabel’s
When Julie Riley was forced to give up her NHS job in 2013 due to ill health, she felt too young to retire and embarked on a plan that you could say was “barking mad!”
The former Technical instructor in the occupational health department wanted to find a part time role, but initially count decide on what that would be, until the inspiration came to her in the middle of the night.
Julie said “I remember clearly waking up at 2.30am one night and saying to my partner Graham, I am going downstairs to bake, he obviously thought I was crazy!”
“My dogs are my hobby and I’m obsessed with food and cooking”
Julies first batch of doggy bakes -named after he beloved Labradors Marge and Mabel - was created, and it was a sell-out at her first stall at Chesterfield Market in Derbyshire. That was in 2013 and, in the following 10 years, the business has gone from strength to strength, moving from Julie’s kitchen to a purpose built industrial unit.
Marge & Mabel
“I did lots of research and created all the recipes myself from scratch using human-grade ingredients, replicating food that I enjoy and turning them into dog treats.”
“All of my ingredients are sourced in the UK and we buy meat from our local butcher, organic fruit and vegetables from our local grocer and wholemeal flour from BFP. Consequently, they’re a healthier alternative to the usual shop-bought dog treats and don’t contain any sugar, salt, preservatives or colouring.”
Chamomile calms, sardine oatcakes, kidney crisps and apple and cheddar treats are among the goodies on offer both at the markets and online.
There is also an afternoon tea
bundle and birthday bundle for
special occasions.
The treats are dehydrated and have a shelf life of around 3 months, whilst the muffins and cakes last for 3-4 days if refrigerated or stored in an air tight container. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Julie says, “My best sellers are cheese and bacon muffins and steak and kidney puddings. I had an old Jack Russell called Oscar who lost his teeth so couldn’t eat anything hard or crunchy, he inspired me to create these. Its surprising how many dogs prefer the texture of sort cakes.”
Cheese and bacon muffins
“People adore their dogs and regularly put them before themselves! I guess it’s because they’re such good companions.”