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Leon founder Henry Dimbleby joins lab-grown dog food board

22-Aug-2023 - Last updated on 22-Aug-2023 at 13:55 GMT

Dimbleby was a non-executive director at Defra between 2018 and 2023

Good Dog Food has announced that Henry Dimbleby is joining its board as a non-executive director.

The son of broadcaster David Dimbleby, the food campaigner co-founded restaurant chain Leon and was a non-executive director at Defra between 2018 and 2023.

Dimbleby was involved in the UK Government's Food Strategy Review in 2021, leading the first comprehensive evaluation of the UK's food strategy in 70 years. He is also a non-executive director Fortnum & Mason, Rockfish and Westmorland Family.

As part of this new role with Good Dog Food, he will assist with strategy and commercialisation, in addition to relations with the government.

Good Dog Food is part of the Agronomics portfolio, a company primarily focused on cellular agriculture. Founded in March 2022, the pet food manufacturer secured £3.6m in seed financing in May of this year (2023).

Developing cultured meat for dogs

In the future, Good Dog Food aims to develop the first ever cultivated meat products for the pet food industry, which is estimated to be worth £80bn. These products are free from antibiotics and steroids, and the firm hopes they can be commercialised before similar products for humans are legalised.

The first application for the sale of cultivated meat products was submitted in the UK by Israeli start-up Aleph Farms earlier this month (August 2023), although it is likely to be at least 12 months until these products are approved for human consumption.

Good Dog Food has already developed prototype products and built relationships with fellow manufacturers and retailers. Pets at Home is one retailer that has made an investment in the manufacturer.

Commenting on the hire, co-founder of Agronomics and chairman of Good Dog Food, Jim Mellon, said: "Henry's extensive background in shaping the UK's food strategy makes him a great fit for the role. As we continue to drive the growth of Good Dog Food and amplify its impact in the cellular agriculture sector, we look forward to the fresh insights and perspective Henry will bring to the company."

In other news, more than 200 jobs are set to be lost after Sofina confirmed the closure of a Young’s factory in Grimsby.