Cesar

Cesar Country Stew Trays: Beef, Lamb & Chicken review

Name: Cesar Country Stew Trays: Beef, Lamb & Chicken
Brand: Cesar

47.1/100Average

WetAdult

Flavour

Soft chunks in gravy, where the analysis reads better than the ingredient list. Two animals are pinned at 4% each and everything else goes to category terms. The poultry, beef and lamb selection reaches our Good band; the other three sit a step below in Average, with barely anything between them.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Fussy eaters who do better with soft chunks in gravy
Smaller dogs. A 150g tray is a serving in itself, nothing to cover and put back in the fridge
Dogs that take on too little water, about four fifths of each tray being moisture
Households that like to rotate the meat, several recipes under one lid
A meat-forward analysis, protein just under half of dry matter

Worth watching

Only two animals named per tray. None can anchor an elimination diet
Unnamed cereals and vegetable derivatives, if you avoid one grain in particular
Selection packs hold four recipes under one name, so read each sleeve before feeding a dog that must avoid one animal
At 84 to 89 kcal per 100g, a larger dog needs several trays a day

Written by our editorial team. Independent guidance, not veterinary advice.

How this scores

How we score

47.1/100Average

Protein and processingPoor

Nutritional balanceOutstanding

TransparencyOutstanding

ValueAverage

The details

Dog fit

Listed for adults of every size, though the 150g tray suits a small dog best. For anything bigger, count the trays a day from the label's table before you buy.

Food type

Wet

Life stage

Adult

Breed size

Toy, Small, Medium, Large, Giant

Main protein

Chicken

The score, in context

Poultry 58.9
Fish 47.2
Beef 47.1
Chicken in Gravy 46.8

Four recipes across Good and Average. Typical wet food: Excellent.

The analysis is sound on every tray; what separates them, and holds them all back, is how much of the meat each label will name.

What's in it

Meat and animal derivatives84% to 88% of the chunkAny warm-blooded land animal, in any proportion.
Lamb or beef4%The named meat, depending on the sleeve. Two sleeves name only the liver.
Chicken liver4%Dense in B vitamins, copper and iron, and dogs rarely need persuading.
Cereals (brown rice on two sleeves)1.1% riceEquivalent to 4% cooked brown rice. The rest of the grain is unnamed.
Vegetables: peas, carrots, potatoes0.6% to 1.2% driedEach declared as equivalent to 4% fresh.
Derivatives of vegetable origin
Minerals
Herbs: rosemary, parsley0.08%, 0.02%There for the look of the recipe.

A short panel, each with a dose per kilo: vitamin D3, vitamin E, and copper, iodine, iron, manganese and zinc as sulphates or iodate.

Chicken liver is on every sleeve, so this box does not suit a dog kept off poultry.

Named ingredients

Meat and Animal Derivatives (in the Chunk* 88%, including Lamb 4%, Chicken Liver 4%), Cereals, Vegetables (including Dried Peas 1.2%, equivalent to Peas 4%), Derivatives of Vegetable origin, Minerals, Herbs (Rosemary 0.08%, Parsley 0.02%), 93% natural, Chunk typically 48% of the product, Meat and Animal Derivatives (in the Chunk* 85%, including Beef 4%, Chicken Liver 4%), Cereals (including Dried Carrots 0.6% and Dried Potatoes 1.1%, equivalent to Carrots 4% and Potatoes 4%), Derivatives of Vegetable origin, Vegetables, Minerals, 93% natural, Chunk typically 48% of the product, Meat and Animal Derivatives (in the Chunk* 88%, including Chicken Liver 4%), Cereals (including Brown Rice 1.1%, equivalent to cooked Brown Rice 4%), Derivatives of Vegetable origin, Vegetables (including a mix of Dried Carrots and Peas 0.8%, equivalent to a mix of Carrots and Peas 4%), Minerals, 97% natural, Chunk typically 47% of the product, Meat and Animal Derivatives (in the Chunk* 84%, including Beef 4%, Chicken Liver 4%), Cereals (including Brown Rice 1.1%, equivalent to cooked Brown Rice 4%), derivatives of Vegetable origin, Vegetables (including a mix of Dried Carrots and Peas 0.8%, equivalent to a mix of Carrots and Peas 4%), Minerals, * 93% natural, Chunk typically 47% of the product

Against the range

Named meat: Lamb, beef, chicken liver; Turkey and cod appear in other selections.
Chunk animal share: 84% to 88%; Up to 93% on the Chicken in Gravy.
Fat, dry matter: 24.2%; 26.3% on the poultry, beef and lamb.

Red meat in rotation, but always with chicken alongside.

Every label is a chunk, typically 47% to 49% of the tray, in gravy. Inside the chunk, meat and animal derivatives run from 81% to 93%. The animals named arrive at 4% each: chicken liver on nearly every sleeve, with lamb, beef, turkey, chicken or cod beside it depending on the tray.

The rest is category terms. Meat and animal derivatives covers any warm-blooded land animal, cereals any grain, derivatives of vegetable origin almost anything grown, and each can move between batches. Protein converts to 47.4% or 48.4% of dry matter, and herbs appear only at trace level.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

84 kcal/100g

Protein

Fat

4.5%

Fibre

0.5%

Ash

Moisture

81.4%

Dry weight

Protein

48.4%

Fat

24.2%

Fibre

2.7%

Ash

10.8%

Carbs

13.9%

As-fed composition

Estimated breakdown of the finished product by ingredient category, from the declared ingredient list and ingoing weights. These are estimates, not measurements.

Other

100%

Pricing & size