Surf’s up, dudes. Denzel and his team of experts have been back in the kitchen to create a limited edition treat that’s perfect for a trip to the beach. The sustainable pet brand teased the launch of a brand new flavour on Instagram in July, before the big reveal of their summer-themed treats.
Denzel’s soft ‘n’ squishy bites are one of our favourite treat tin fillers, and are a guaranteed winner on walkies for rewarding Phoebe and Frank, to help with training, or teaching new tricks at home.
The limited edition Surf ‘n’ Turf bites are made with chicken, shrimp and sweet potato, and have already proven to be a winning recipe in our house.
Shrimp are low in fat, calories and carbohydrates, making them a great option for dogs who are looking to trim down in time for the beach – because by this point it’s only going to be Phoebe and Frank that are ‘beach body ready’ anyway. Meanwhile chicken is a good source of protein, and will always get tails wagging. Trust me, you only need to whisper the word.
Sweet potato accounts for 15 per cent of the recipe, and provides a fantastic source of dietary fibre to help the digestive system function. The treats, which also contain chickpea flour and vegetable glycerin, are gently baked in carbon-neutral woodchip ovens, often using fresh wonky fruit from local suppliers that would have otherwise gone to waste.
Suitable for puppies over 16 weeks old, these handy treats are grain-free, low in sugar and low in calories, essentially making them completely guilt-free. Each pack contains approximately 110 rewards, and at £2.50 a packet, it works out at 2.2p a treat, which is cracking value for money, if you ask me.
There are a few ways we’ve enjoyed using the Denzel’s Surf ‘n’ Turf soft ‘n’ squishy bites since they launched. Of course, they’re perfect for walks and adventures, but some days it’s been a bit too hot to take the dogs out. Instead, we’ve found that the Denzel’s treats are the perfect size for stuffing our snuffle mats – a valuable enrichment toy that helps tire out pups with mental stimulation.
And to help Phoebe and Frank beat the heat, we’ve also been adding water to ice cube trays or silicone moulds and adding a couple of soft ‘n’ squishy bites to each before freezing. This provides a crunchy, cooling treat for when it’s warm, and the Scamps have loved it.
The new recipe was launched in line with Plastic Free July, a campaign which Denzel’s really get paws-on with each year. Last year, they ditched plastic and switched to 100 per cent plastic-free and biodegradable packaging, which can be thrown straight into the regular rubbish bin.
The packaging is then taken to landfill where it naturally breaks down in 30 weeks, rather than 300 years, like single use plastic. You can read more about Denzel’s plastic-free packaging here.
The treats come in a fun beach-themed packaging, which comes with the important reminder to ‘keep your dog cool with water and shade’. The nautical Denz having his BBQ on the beach also serves as a message of the amount of plastic in our oceans.
Denzel reported that ‘plastic outnumbers sea life by 6-to-1’ adding: “Some of these microplastics and nanoplastics get absorbed into the fishes muscles (typically the part that humans and dogs eat) and get passed on via the food chain. So not only does plastic pollution harm fish, but it also impacts human lives and dog’s lives too!”
In short, by ditching plastic products and packaging, less plastic waste ends up in the oceans and less marine life is harmed as a result.
The limited edition Denzel’s Surf ‘n’ Turf treats are available in over 400 Tesco stores nationwide, but when they’re gone, they’re gone! You can use the Denzel’s store locator to find the Tesco closest to you to find their delicious treats.
