JulesP Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 I thought this deserved its own topic. It appears that Natures Gift was been sold to the Real Pet Company. A couple of their lines have been discontinued. I feel pretty sad about this as this was a small family business. They were really great to deal with and seemed to really care about their product. I spoke to them a number of times over the years and was always happy with the response. I first started using their products nearly 30 years ago! Used to get it directly from the factory before it was in supermarkets etc I had felt that the tinned food seemed a little different recently but don't know if I was imagining it. It is rarely a good thing when small companies get sucked into bigger ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taliecat Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 We live near the factory for VIP pet food, and have notice in the last couple of months that it's been rebranded to Real Pet food as well.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 Bummer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hungryhound Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 I hope the family got the price they wanted and can reap the rewards of their hard work (good for them!) but I wish the new owners wouldn't fix what isn't broke. I noticed the food was different too. A birdie told me a while ago it had been sold. Thanks for confirmation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 it used to be a decent food - no doubt that will now change . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted October 7, 2016 Author Share Posted October 7, 2016 I hope the family got the price they wanted and can reap the rewards of their hard work (good for them!) but I wish the new owners wouldn't fix what isn't broke. I noticed the food was different too. A birdie told me a while ago it had been sold. Thanks for confirmation. I have a very long memory...... :laugh: Don't you work in the pet food industry anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 Sigh here we go again. Crap will be added and I will be once again left looking for a good food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted October 8, 2016 Author Share Posted October 8, 2016 Sigh here we go again. Crap will be added and I will be once again left looking for a good food. Their soft kibble is the only kibble Amber will happily eat so I am a little bit freaked out. Don't know what is going on with their website, it has changed in the last week but quite a few things are missing. Don't know if they have also been discontinued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 That's the hardest bit. You use it because it has got something or not got something, suddenly it's changed and you can't use it any more. Wish people would atop screwing with things that don't need changing. It's so frustrating. I feed this in my kennels - a lot of it. Nothing else is comparable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danois Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 VIP did not buy Natures Gift. Quadrant Private Equity owns VIP and then QPE purchased Nature's Gift 12 months ago - so it is not a new thing. QPE are pretty active - they purchased the Fitness First gym chain about a week ago (after purchasing Goodlife and Jetts gyms recently) and are currently close to finalising a deal with Neil Perry for his fine dining restaurants as well as sniffing around Jamie's Italian chain. They also dabble in health care market, media and furniture chain. They are private equity, they buy companies cheap, strip out the costs etc to maximise profits and then on sell for a profit or list them on the stock exchange. (Very random information but was only reading about them last week around the restaurant acquisitions). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 Oh dear, Danois. In a previous life, I worked in a private equity company and the main point in the calculations was how much money they could make for themselves. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hungryhound Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 I hope the family got the price they wanted and can reap the rewards of their hard work (good for them!) but I wish the new owners wouldn't fix what isn't broke. I noticed the food was different too. A birdie told me a while ago it had been sold. Thanks for confirmation. I have a very long memory...... :laugh: Don't you work in the pet food industry anymore? I do! I manufacture natural dried treats :) lots of birdies tell me lots of things haha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 Sigh here we go again. Crap will be added and I will be once again left looking for a good food. Any update / observations on this? I notice that the VIP grain free page looks the same but on the contact page it's directing people to the "real pet food company" http://www.vippetfoods.com.au/contact-us/ & that it wasn't on the shelf when I was home in Sydney a week or so ago. Just wondering if I should stockpile a few bags.... If so... grrr.... It's the only dry Scott reliably eats and doesn't react to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted October 17, 2016 Author Share Posted October 17, 2016 Sigh here we go again. Crap will be added and I will be once again left looking for a good food. Any update / observations on this? I notice that the VIP grain free page looks the same but on the contact page it's directing people to the "real pet food company" http://www.vippetfoods.com.au/contact-us/ & that it wasn't on the shelf when I was home in Sydney a week or so ago. Just wondering if I should stockpile a few bags.... If so... grrr.... It's the only dry Scott reliably eats and doesn't react to. It is a tad complicated. Let me try. Quadrant Private Equity purchased shares in VIP. A large amount of shares, the old owners still have shares (or had, this may have changed since last year, I couldn't find a recent update and ASIC was down when I looked). A company called Real Pet Food Company was created. VIP sits under this company, Real Pet Food Company purchased Natures Gift, Dr B's Barf and Tucker Time (with their own cash or with Quadrant Private Equity money I don't know). The old owners reportedly put a lot of the cash they got back into the company (this isn't unusual). This all happened last year. The NG website only changed when I wrote this. The food I wanted was on the old website. I would say that they will be going through their products and looking at what to cull. I think VIP dry will be safe. It was doing well. The food I wanted wasn't doing so well (probably because it wasn't in any shops!!). I hope that their is enough integrity that is doesn't change but as the old team are still there I assume not at the moment. NG appears to not being made in the same place looking at maps of were Real Pet Food company are making stuff. Clear as mud? :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumCorner Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 .... Clear as mud? ... Mud is probably the operative word - nothing is clean or clear with these money-grubbing multi-company companies. Clearest thing is the disappointment we all share - bugger, another good reliable product for so many years with a question mark over it, difficult to stay optimistic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 Haven't noticed a change recently but I did notice a change a while back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 Thanks Jules :) Much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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