Find out how our healthy dog and cat food project came about
Our history
The story of Colonel Gustave began at the end of 2019, when Colonel decided to expand his small family by taking in a young Hungarian Braque puppy. He quickly started looking for a kennel and found what he was looking for near Paris. He was soon on the spot and it was love at first sight! How could anyone resist this adorable little face?
The winner was Sierra, a young brown shorthaired female. She was born on 6 January 2020 in the Paris region. After two long months of waiting, Sierra has finally been weaned and has joined the home of Colonel and his partner.
The young dog is quickly getting used to her new life of walks and play, but despite her apparent happiness, she remains thin and struggles to finish her daily bowl of food… However, Colonel has followed all the advice he received from the breeder and serves his companion the recommended kibble from a leading brand. After all, they’ve bred so many dogs of this breed, they’re bound to know which meal is best suited to them, aren’t they?
Sierra was eating less and less, and a solution had to be found! So Colonel began a scrupulous search for information about this major brand. After browsing forums and watching documentaries, he realised that the recipes of the major brands were not adapted to the needs of our 4-legged friends. In fact, they don’t hesitate to replace essential foods with substitutes or add ingredients that are indigestible for dogs (like cereals, for example) with the sole aim of cutting costs… What’s more, most of the ingredients travel around the world before arriving in our pets’ food bowl, and that doesn’t really help the ecological cause… So what can we do? After thinking about it for a few nights, the solution seemed obvious to Colonel…
Sierra
Arnaud Henroz
alias Colonel
Arnaud Gustin
alias Gustave
Why not create a completely new brand of local, healthy croquettes for our 4-legged friends?
After all, Sierra is surely not the only one to suffer from her diet. And so the project to develop healthy kibbles began.
To launch this crazy project, he needed the ideal partner! Naturally, he thought of Gustave, his faithful lifelong friend. Together, they went to meet canine nutritionists to find the ideal feeding solution. Out of their discussions came their first recipe: pumpkin nettle chicken.
They then set out to find local partners to supply them with quality ingredients produced in the region. Once all the ingredients had been assembled, it was time to launch the very first production run and submit it to their canine jury: the beautiful Sierra.
The test was a great success! Sierra regained her appetite and finally finished her portions.
With the recipe validated, all that remained was to come up with a great name and suitable packaging. In tribute to the nicknames of the 2 founders, the Colonel Gustave brand was born.
Mission accomplished!
For the packaging, it was out of the question to offer a plastic bag solution like the ones you see too often in supermarkets. Colonel Gustave chose to work with a paper bag made from 100% renewable materials with PEFC certification, which ensures sustainable forest management. The bag is produced using water-based inks and glues, guaranteeing a solvent-free product and limited emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). This packaging also guarantees a safer and more eco-responsible working environment for employees. To ensure that your pack is recycled, simply dispose of it in your usual paper bin.
October 2020
With the first recipe, the name and the ideal packaging in place, it’s finally time to launch the product on the market so that everyone can feed their faithful companion properly! Colonel Gustave arrived in physical shops and online at the end of 2020. It was an immediate success, with many customers sending in their comments.
October 2021
Overwhelmed by requests from cat owners, Colonel Gustave set about developing a recipe suited to the delicate palates of felines. The first recipe will be available in October 2021.
Meet
the members of Colonel Gustave
Arnaud Henroz
alias ColonelArnaud is a dog lover. He enjoys the little things in life, such as enjoying the good weather, watching the animals and walking his faithful colleague Sierra.
Always looking for adventure, he won’t hesitate to try new things. He has already worked abroad.
Today, he has set himself the goal of developing local, healthy and responsible petfood in Belgium.
Sierra
Sierra is a pretty Hungarian pointer who loves going for walks. Together with her owner Colonel, they have recently taken up canicross over distances of between 6 and 10km.
With tastes fit for a princess, she’s our best kibble tester!
In her spare time, Sierra doesn’t hesitate to show us her talents as a gold digger by digging lots of holes around our premises.
Arnaud Gustin
alias GustaveArnaud is an entrepreneur with a passion for the dog world. A friend of Colonel's, he joined the adventure to help launch the project.
On a day-to-day basis, he is responsible for stock and order management, as well as financial management.
A keen sportsman, Arnaud gives his all to everything he does. Whether it’s a game of kicker between colleagues or a rush of orders.
Sébastien
alias SebaProduction and stock management manager.
He’s constantly busy cooking delicious food. He also likes to get away for photo shoots.
