Wainwright's Grain Free Puppy Trays review

Excellent is the band this tray reaches, and the typical puppy wet food gets there too, so the company it keeps is strong. The margin is what sets this one apart, because it finishes a long way clear of that middle mark and does not scrape in.

Transparency comes back Outstanding with protein and processing, nutritional balance and value all Excellent, and the reasons are not complicated. Almost three quarters of the tray is turkey, and the plant side is short and named down to the last herb. What the analysis says agrees with the front of the pack instead of quietly contradicting it.

Ingredients, as declared: Turkey (72%) (Turkey 70%, Turkey Liver 2%), Sweet Potato (4%), Dried Peas (2.5%, equivalent to 8% peas), Dried Carrots (1%, equivalent to 8% carrots), Butternut Squash (1%), Minerals, Dried Alfalfa, Apple, Dried Seaweed, Dried Herbs (Parsley, Rosemary, Fennel, Marigold Flowers), Flaxseed Oil (0.08%), Chicory Root Powder (as a source of Prebiotic Fructo-oligosaccharide) (0.05%), Yucca Extract (0.005%)

A 72% turkey declaration would carry most of a recipe on its own, and here it is split into turkey at 70% and turkey liver at 2%. Liver is the nutrient dense part of the animal, rich in vitamin A, B vitamins and copper, and highly palatable with it, so even a small inclusion earns its place several times over.

The species claim holds even at the list's last line. Turkey really is the only animal in the tray. There is no hydrolysate, no unnamed animal fat and no fish oil anywhere on it. For a pup on a strict single protein plan, that makes this a genuine option.

The plant side is short and specific. Sweet potato at 4%, then dried carrots at 1% and dried peas at 2.5% with their fresh equivalents given as 8% each, then butternut squash at 1%, alfalfa, apple and seaweed. Carbohydrate converts to an estimated 15.4% of dry matter against the 13.6% typical of a puppy wet food, so the meat headline is not hiding a starchy middle.

Fat is where this tray runs hot, converting to 32.3% of dry matter, and the ash figure of 14.5% points to a generous mineral package for growing bones. Both suit a fast growing pup well, and both are good reasons to measure a portion rather than guess it.

The finishing touches are unusually well named. The dried herbs are itemised, and not hidden behind a general term: parsley, rosemary, fennel and marigold flowers. Flaxseed oil at 0.08% adds plant omega 3, chicory root powder at 0.05% supplies prebiotic FOS and yucca extract comes in at 0.005%. The vitamin and trace element panel is dosed in print alongside them.

The one line missing is calcium. The maker positions this tray for medium, large and giant breed growth. Big breed rearing turns on the calcium figure more than on any other. If your pup is heading for the top of that range, ask the maker about the absence.

£4.53 a kilo. It comes as one 395g tray.

Nothing about a puppy's portion stays still for long, so take the feeding chart as your guide and adjust it with the shape of your growing dog. Wet food is fed in far bigger volumes than kibble and the guide reflects that, running from 98.8g a day for the smallest puppies up to 1777.5g at the top.