Grandma Lucy's

A family owned and operated company since 1999; Grandma Lucy’s is a pet food brand that caters to dogs and cats. They are based out of Rancho Santa Margarita, California and have distributors throughout the US and Canada. Their products can also be purchased online.

Grandma Lucy’s specializes in freeze-dried pet food and treats. They were one of the first brands to introduce freeze-dried pet treats to the market and had no issues finding enthusiastic customers. Grandma Lucy’s has become a popular brand throughout North America and continues to receive high praise for their products.

Table of Contents

Product Ingredients

Grandma Lucy’s has been in the pet food industry for two decades, allowing them the experience and time to perfect their recipes. They currently have several types of products on the market that fit under one of these categories:

Artisan: for animals that have a grain-free diet

Performance: food that is low on the glycemic index

Valor: food that is made with quinoa

Macanna: has anti-inflammatory properties

Grandma Lucy’s follows strict guidelines to ensure high ingredient quality. They purchase human-grade ingredients from suppliers that also sell to restaurants. According to its website, the brand uses 87% of domestically grown ingredients.

Outsourced ingredients come from New Zealand and Australia. They buy their ingredients in small batches for premium freshness and to ensure that the ingredients meet their strict guidelines:

Human-grade quality
Chemical and preservative free
Non-GMO
From a country that follows strict safety guidelines
Free from E.coli, mercury, salmonella, lead, arsenic, coliform, and melamine

Grandma Lucy’s follows Standard Operating Procedures to make certain the ingredients are properly stored and processed. The most commonly used ingredients in Grandma Lucy’s products are:

Sweet potatoes
Potatoes
Pinto beans
Lentils
Quinoa
Carrots
Apples
Oats
Bananas
Peaches
Chickpeas
Rice
Celery
Spinach
Kale
Blueberries
Flaxseed
Garlic
And more

What about their meat? Grandma Lucy’s only uses lean, muscle meat and the majority of their meat comes from the United States. They use goat, venison, lamb, chicken, beef, pork, bison, rabbit, turkey, pollock, salmon, and mahi-mahi. The company ensures its customers that the meat and poultry they buy are humanely raised and treated. Their goat and lamb are pasture raised while their rabbit, venison, and chicken are farm raised. All their meat is GMO-free, contain no by-products, are all natural, and have no preservatives. All of their fish is wild caught as well.

The Cooking Process

Grandma Lucy’s is vocal about what, where, and how their food is processed and cooked. The raw ingredients are received and processed in their Rancho Santa Margarita, California facility. The ingredients are cut up and prepared by skilled staff members. They then freeze dry their ingredients to remove up to 92% of water in the ingredients. The company does not use other drying methods such as dehydration or air drying. Freeze drying keeps the quality of the ingredients while making it compact and lightweight.

The staff measures, sorts, and inspects the ingredients by hand for the blending process. The ingredients are then placed into the facility’s custom tumblers. They mix the whole ingredient evenly without breaking the pieces. Once the ingredients are evenly blended the food is packaged into airtight bags for premium quality and freshness.

Before the food is shipped it out it will go through another round of inspections for salmonella, E.coli, and other strains of bacteria. The double testing process allows Grandma Lucy’s to positively ensure their products meet all safety requirements.

Sampling the Product

Pet owners are not strangers to buying a product and having their pet turning their nose up at it. Thankfully, some of Grandma Lucy’s products come in a sample size for $1.00. Customers can choose up to eight samples per formula/protein. Choices include:

Artisan Chicken
Artisan Lamb
Artisan Venison
Artisan Pork
Artisan Pre-Mix
Artisan Cat Food
Pureformance Chicken
Pureformance Fish
Pureformance Rabbit
Pureformance Lamb
Pureformance Goat
Pureformance Pre-Mix
Macanna Salmon
Macanna Beef
Macanna Pre-Mix

This allows new customers to test out the formula and flavors on their pets without the commitment.

Sizes and Pricing

Grandma Lucy’s offers several sizes for their dog and cat food. The sizing options will vary depending on the type of food and flavor. They may offer one pound food bags, three pound food bags, eight pound food bags, and ten pound food bags. A one pound bag will make up to five pounds of fresh food, and a three pound make makes up to 50 pounds of food. A typical one pound bag of food can go between $9 and $15. Ten pounds bags will cost upwards $100 but will last several months for most dogs.

Is Grandma Lucy’s Worth it?

Grandma Lucy’s value in product transparency has proven that they have not strayed from their original purpose and mission. The founders and owners of Grandma Lucy’s are highly involved in the company despite their growth. They go into the facility every day and are involved in every process.

Family owned companies have a stereotype of caring more about their products, and it rings true for Grandma Lucy’s. Their company’s pros heavily outweigh the cons.

Pros

Has never been involved in a pet food/treat recall
Uses raw, high-quality ingredients from specialized suppliers
Focused on food sensitivity and animal wellness
Double test their ingredients for bacteria and quality
Keep in personal contact with their suppliers
Offers a wide variety of food and treats for cats and dogs
Made in the USA
Does not work with third-party manufacturers
The brand shows customers where each ingredient comes from

Cons

The brand uses garlic in their recipes. This may lead to dogs experiencing acid reflux and other gastrointestinal distress
Grandma Lucy’s ingredients and foods are not USDA certified organic, although they do use natural ingredients

All animals are different, just as humans are. Just because one dog likes a food doesn’t mean another will. Grandma Lucy’s works hard to ensure they are producing the best, natural food for your pets. The brand is worth trying for animals who need a healthier diet or just because an owner wants their pet to have the best food possible.