Monty's Larder Hearty Chicken & Beef Stew

Fresh Frozen · completeHigh meatClear label

Hearty Chicken & Beef Stew
Good
our rating

Our verdict

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

We score it 80/100 (Good). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.

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

How we score

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

Why you might choose it

  • Meat makes up an estimated 37% of the dry matter (44% as fed).
  • Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
  • Doesn't list grain ingredients.

Why you might not

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

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. Find foods that fit your dog.

Nutrition and feedingProtein 13% · Fat 9%

Typical analysis (as fed)

NutrientAs fed
Protein13%
Fat9%
Fibre1%
Ash1%
Moisture72%

Additives & feeding info

Feeding and storage

Storage

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

Additives declared on the label

Nutritional additives

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

Ingredients (14)56% of the recipe is estimated

Estimated composition

  • meat 44.0%
  • veg 31.1%
  • carb 14.3%
  • oil 5.6%
  • other 5.0%
#As declaredMatchedLabel readingDeclared %Est. %
1Chicken 17%Chickenmeat · medium1717.0
2StockCooking brothother · medium-5.0
3heart 4%Chicken Heartmeat · good44.0
4liver 2.5%Chicken Livermeat · good2.52.5
5Mince 17%Beefmeat · medium1717.0
6liver 3.5%Beef Livermeat · good3.53.5
7PotatoesPotatoescarb · medium-8.2
8SpinachSpinachveg · good-7.7
9CarrotsCarrotsveg · good-7.1
10Savoy CabbageCabbageveg · good-6.6
11Sweet PotatoesSweet Potatoescarb · good-6.1
12Vegetable OilVegetable oiloil · medium-5.6
13Sunflower SeedsSunflower Seedsveg · good-5.1
14Seaweed.Seaweedveg · good-4.6
  1. 1. Chicken 17%17% declared17.0% estimated
    Chicken · meat · medium
  2. 2. Stock5.0% estimated
    Cooking broth · other · medium
  3. 3. heart 4%4% declared4.0% estimated
    Chicken Heart · meat · good
  4. 4. liver 2.5%2.5% declared2.5% estimated
    Chicken Liver · meat · good
  5. 5. Mince 17%17% declared17.0% estimated
    Beef · meat · medium
  6. 6. liver 3.5%3.5% declared3.5% estimated
    Beef Liver · meat · good
  7. 7. Potatoes8.2% estimated
    Potatoes · carb · medium
  8. 8. Spinach7.7% estimated
    Spinach · veg · good
  9. 9. Carrots7.1% estimated
    Carrots · veg · good
  10. 10. Savoy Cabbage6.6% estimated
    Cabbage · veg · good
  11. 11. Sweet Potatoes6.1% estimated
    Sweet Potatoes · carb · good
  12. 12. Vegetable Oil5.6% estimated
    Vegetable oil · oil · medium
  13. 13. Sunflower Seeds5.1% estimated
    Sunflower Seeds · veg · good
  14. 14. Seaweed.4.6% estimated
    Seaweed · veg · good

Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-08-22

Brand and contact: Monty's Larder
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 v3 (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.

Score details and methodologyCalculations, history and evidence

Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated

Why this score?

The overall score is 80 out of 100. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +6.8 points and the meat content contributed +3.5. Ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -5.9 points, while the processing format deducted -2.4 points.

Scored with model v3 on 2026-10-25. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.79.191+6.81
Meat share of dry matter36.6%0.096+3.52
Carb share of dry matter10.6%-0.115-1.22
Oil share of dry matter16.5%-0.092-1.52
Vegetable share of dry matter35.5%-0.005-0.18
Other share of dry matter0.7%-0.375-0.28
Undeclared quantities56.0%-0.106-5.91
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)yes0.707+0.71
Fresh × high meat1.011.084+11.08
Additive penalty-0.110.222-0.02
Processing multiplier1.1033.786+37.16
Processing: Fresh Frozenyes-2.354-2.35
Show all 40 components
ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.79.191+6.81
Meat share of dry matter36.6%0.096+3.52
Carb share of dry matter10.6%-0.115-1.22
Oil share of dry matter16.5%-0.092-1.52
Vegetable share of dry matter35.5%-0.005-0.18
Additive share of dry matter0.0%0.163+0.00
Supplement share of dry matter0.0%-0.012+0.00
Other share of dry matter0.7%-0.375-0.28
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.027+0.00
Recipe graded poor0.0%-0.065+0.00
Poor-quality meat in recipe0.0%-0.179+0.00
Number of poor ingredients0-0.876+0.00
Largest single poor ingredient0.0%0.060+0.00
Undeclared quantities56.0%-0.106-5.91
Prints ingredient percentagesno0.000+0.00
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Frozen or chilled freshno0.000+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)yes0.707+0.71
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)no-3.158+0.00
High carb and low meatno-1.180+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages0.00.000+0.00
Meat share × fresh0.00.000+0.00
Fresh × high meat1.011.084+11.08
Additive penalty-0.110.222-0.02
Processing multiplier1.1033.786+37.16
Processing: Rawno-0.054+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilledno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozenyes-2.354-2.35
Processing: Fresh Refrigeratedno0.000+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelfno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Driedno6.629+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Driedno6.331+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Bakedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Extrudedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Semi Moistno-6.174+0.00
Processing: Dry Mueslino-10.146+0.00
Processing: Wet Pateno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunksno-0.672+0.00
Processing-type offset
-1.74
Additives declared on label
+1 transparency bonus
Subtotal
80.3
Final score
80/100

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
v380/100current
v291/100
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.

Declared fortification: 4 nutritional additives on the label
  • Manganese 3.4 Mg
  • Vitamin D3 17 IU
  • Vitamin E 7.1 IU
  • Magnesium 153 Mg

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 claims made on the pack and product page, checked against the declared label. We record claims as stated; "consistent" means our stored label data supports the claim, "contradicted" means it conflicts with it. Functional claims are recorded but never scored.

100/100 · moderate — 1 checkable claim: 1 consistent, 0 contradicted.

Consistent with the label

  • "Grain free" — supported by the declared grain-free data.

6 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.

Moderate: every checkable claim is consistent with the declared label.

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

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

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