Monty's Larder Hearty Chicken & Beef Stew

Fresh Frozen complete High meat Clear label

Hearty Chicken & Beef Stew
Good
our rating

Is Monty's Larder Hearty Chicken & Beef Stew a good dog food?

We score it 91/100 (Good). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.

How we score

Why this score?

The food scored 91 out of 100. Minimal processing contributed +11.4 points, and the overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +7.3 points. The presence of ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -7.3 points, while the processing format contributed +6.6 points.

56% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

The Recipe score measures how attractive and transparent the declared ingredient list is. It is not, by itself, proof that the food is nutritionally appropriate for long-term feeding. The Nutritional and Evidence scores measure what we can verify towards that stronger claim.

Complete frozen fresh food for dogs of all life stages, with chicken, cooking broth and chicken heart as the main ingredients.

Why you might choose it

  • Scores 91, in the top quarter of fresh foods we track.
  • Meat makes up an estimated 37% of the dry matter (44% as fed).
  • Prints ingredient percentages on the label.

Why you might not

  • High in fat: 32% fat on a dry-matter basis.
  • Needs freezer space and defrosting before serving.

View the source page

Estimated composition

meat44.0%
veg31.1%
carb14.3%
oil5.6%
other5.0%

Typical analysis (as fed)

Protein
13%
Fat
9%
Fibre
1%
Ash
1%
Moisture
72%

Additives & feeding info

Nutritional additives

Manganese 3.4 Mg; Vitamin D3 17 IU; Vitamin E 7.1 IU; Magnesium 153 Mg

Storage

Your order will be frozen prior to despatch, when it arrives, simply pop the meals in the freezer and serve as required.

Who is this food for?

Suits

  • Labelled by the manufacturer for all lifestages
  • Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
  • Doesn't list turkey, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients

Consider something else if:

  • Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
  • Your dog avoids beef: the label lists beef
  • You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein
  • You are limiting fat: 32.1% on a dry-matter basis is in the high band

These points are derived from declared ingredients and analysis, not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your dog has a diagnosed condition, food choice is a medical nutrition decision: speak to your vet. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.

Ingredients (14)

#As declaredMatchedCategoryTierDeclared %Est. %
1Chicken 17%Chickenmeatmedium1717.0
2StockCooking brothothermedium-5.0
3heart 4%Chicken Heartmeatgood44.0
4liver 2.5%Chicken Livermeatgood2.52.5
5Mince 17%Beefmeatmedium1717.0
6liver 3.5%Beef Livermeatgood3.53.5
7PotatoesPotatoescarbmedium-8.2
8SpinachSpinachveggood-7.7
9CarrotsCarrotsveggood-7.1
10Savoy CabbageCabbageveggood-6.6
11Sweet PotatoesSweet Potatoescarbgood-6.1
12Vegetable OilVegetable oiloilmedium-5.6
13Sunflower SeedsSunflower Seedsveggood-5.1
14Seaweed.Seaweedveggood-4.6

Brand

Monty's Larder logo
Phone
01747 859911
Address
Monty’s Larder Coldcot Farm Stourton Warminster BA12 6QR
Contact page
montyslarder.co.uk

Trust and provenance

Recall history
No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked
2026-08-22
Scored with
Model v2 (methodology)
Product page
montyslarder.co.uk

Recall history is presentation-only and never affects the score. Dates are when we recorded the data, not when the manufacturer last changed the recipe.

Spotted a mistake in this listing? Report it here and we'll take a look.

Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated

Scored with model v2 on 2026-09-22. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-32.336+32.34
Average ingredient quality0.79.915+7.35
Meat share of dry matter36.6%0.116+4.25
Carb share of dry matter10.6%-0.113-1.20
Oil share of dry matter16.5%-0.088-1.46
Vegetable share of dry matter35.5%-0.002-0.06
Other share of dry matter0.7%-0.371-0.28
Undeclared quantities56.0%-0.131-7.33
Prints ingredient percentagesyes3.194+3.19
Complete dietyes1.703+1.70
Frozen or chilled freshyes11.440+11.44
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)yes-0.506-0.51
Meat share × printed percentages36.6-0.073-2.69
Meat share × fresh36.6-0.339-12.40
Fresh × high meat1.016.475+16.48
Additive penalty-0.110.236-0.03
Processing multiplier1.0032.336+32.34
Processing: Fresh Frozenyes6.583+6.58
Show all 40 components
ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-32.336+32.34
Average ingredient quality0.79.915+7.35
Meat share of dry matter36.6%0.116+4.25
Carb share of dry matter10.6%-0.113-1.20
Oil share of dry matter16.5%-0.088-1.46
Vegetable share of dry matter35.5%-0.002-0.06
Additive share of dry matter0.0%0.177+0.00
Supplement share of dry matter0.0%-0.009+0.00
Other share of dry matter0.7%-0.371-0.28
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.022+0.00
Recipe graded poor0.0%-0.045+0.00
Poor-quality meat in recipe0.0%-0.182+0.00
Number of poor ingredients0-0.868+0.00
Largest single poor ingredient0.0%0.056+0.00
Undeclared quantities56.0%-0.131-7.33
Prints ingredient percentagesyes3.194+3.19
Complete dietyes1.703+1.70
Frozen or chilled freshyes11.440+11.44
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)yes-0.506-0.51
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)no-1.988+0.00
High carb and low meatno-1.250+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages36.6-0.073-2.69
Meat share × fresh36.6-0.339-12.40
Fresh × high meat1.016.475+16.48
Additive penalty-0.110.236-0.03
Processing multiplier1.0032.336+32.34
Processing: Rawno13.322+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilledno7.712+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozenyes6.583+6.58
Processing: Fresh Refrigeratedno4.857+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelfno0.072+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Driedno11.127+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Driedno9.320+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressedno4.569+0.00
Processing: Dry Bakedno-2.321+0.00
Processing: Dry Extrudedno-6.996+0.00
Processing: Dry Semi Moistno-6.833+0.00
Processing: Dry Mueslino-10.711+0.00
Processing: Wet Pateno2.935+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunksno2.292+0.00
Processing-type offset
+0.14
Additives declared on label
+1 transparency bonus
Subtotal
90.9
Final score
91/100

Contributions are rounded to two decimals, so they may not sum exactly to the subtotal. The full coefficient table is published on the methodology page.

Score history across model versions

The score shown above is always computed with the latest published model. Earlier scores are kept for the record and are never edited or deleted; a scoring change ships as a new model version with a public write-up on the methodology page.

ModelScore
v291/100current
v190/100
v1.991/100
Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges

How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for adult dogs. The label prints as-fed values; we convert to a dry-matter basis before scoring, and the bands are dry-matter ranges. Scores rise to 100 at the band midpoint: the reference is adequacy, not maximisation. Nutrients with a published upper limit taper again above it; fat is policed through calorie density rather than a direct penalty.

NutrientAs fed (label)Dry matter (scored)Score
Protein1346.4 (band 18 to 40%)100
Fat932.1 (band 5.5 to 20%)100
Fibre13.6 (band 0.5 to 5%)100

Scored over 3 declared nutrients (combined weight 50); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.

Medium confidence: the full five-part analysis is on file; where moisture was not declared it was estimated from the food type.

This measures agreement with published reference ranges, not suitability for an individual dog. For medical conditions, follow veterinary guidance.

Transparency: what the label discloses

How much the manufacturer discloses, measured against the FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice and Regulation 767/2009. Mandatory items dominate the weighting.

ItemPoints
Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)10/10
Printed percentages on the label (44% of the recipe mass) (voluntary)8.8/20
Analytical constituents declared (mandatory)15/15
Additives declared (mandatory)5/10
Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file0/5
Complete/complementary designation (mandatory)5/5
Feeding guidance given (mandatory) - not on file0/10
Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory)10/10
Country of manufacture stated (voluntary)10/10
Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file0/5

Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Feeding guidance given, Batch and date labelling).

Safety: recall history

Recall and safety-notice history, time-decayed. This dimension is shown alongside the score and never feeds the headline number.

No recalls recorded in our database.

See all current recalls we track.

Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it

The marketing claims made on the pack and product page, and how much evidence sits behind them. We record the claims as stated; we do not assess whether they are true.

ClaimTypeSubstantiation
Chicken, for protein to aid muscle growth and repair (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
Potatoes, carbohydrates for energy (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
No preservatives (on page)Free-fromManufacturer assertion
No fillers (on page)Free-fromManufacturer assertion
Grain free (on page)Free-fromManufacturer assertion
Grass fed West Country beef high in Omega 3 (on page)High/low levelManufacturer assertion
No artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives (on page)Free-fromManufacturer assertion

Limited: at least one claim rests on manufacturer assertion alone.

The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.

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