Food for Joe: real reviews, price and alternatives (2026)

Food for Joe is a cooked food brand for dogs and cats with one of the best reputations in the sector: 4.73/5 on Trusted Shops (2,329 verified reviews), 4.5/5 on Judge.me (1,412 reviews) and around 4.2/5 on Trustpilot (more than 1,100 reviews). These are notably high figures compared with the rest of the category. Even so, there are a few things worth knowing before you subscribe: the price isn’t transparent until you fill in the questionnaire, and there are logistics issues documented with Spain’s consumer organisation (OCU). Here’s the full breakdown.

What Food for Joe is and how it works

Food for Joe is a Spanish brand of vacuum-cooked food at low temperature, founded in 2021 in Barcelona by Albane Sabatier and Josep Casas. Today it has a team of around 70 people, more than 15,000 repeat customers and revenue of €8.7 million at the close of 2025, with a presence in 650 physical points of sale across Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and Andorra, plus its own production facility and two logistics centres (Girona and Madrid).

The catalogue has 8 single-protein recipes for dogs (chicken, salmon, turkey, beef, pork…) and 3 in-house cat recipes — the latter is what sets it apart from brands that only cover dogs. It works on a subscription basis:

1. You fill in a 3-4 minute questionnaire about your pet.
2. You get a personalised plan, with a minimum order of 3kg.
3. You can pause or cancel before each charge by writing to their customer service.

Real Food for Joe reviews: the good and the flaws

Food for Joe stands out for building up good ratings on several independent platforms at once, not just one: Trusted Shops (4.73/5, 2,329 verified reviews), Judge.me (4.5/5, 1,412 reviews across 75 products) and Trustpilot (around 4.2/5, more than 1,100 reviews). That’s a more solid pattern than relying on a single source.

What people like

• Quality and naturalness of the food is the most repeated compliment.
• Good acceptance even among fussy pets, with perceived improvements in digestion and coat.
• Fast customer service and on-time deliveries, with the cold chain well kept in most cases.
• Flexibility to modify orders already scheduled.

The most common complaints

• One-off logistics issues: packages arriving thawed or with a torn bag. It’s the most cited complaint, and also the one behind most OCU complaints.
• Large, impractical packaging for small portions or small pets.
• Some limitations in the website or app for managing orders.
• Isolated cases such as difficulty opening bags without scissors, or a hard treat that was awkward for the animal.

The OCU has logged dated complaints (2024-2026) over a broken cold chain, mould, an incomplete order and cancellation or refund issues; most are listed as resolved. It’s the same type of issue that shows up with any brand delivering fresh or frozen product to your door: a pattern worth watching, not a red flag specific to this brand.

What do vets think?

Food for Joe states on its website that its recipes are formulated by vets and follow FEDIAF guidelines (the European industry federation), with testimonials from two collaborating vets. These are brand testimonials, not independent external validation — as is the case with most brands in this sector — but the underlying criterion (a complete, balanced diet backed by FEDIAF) is the same one any vet would recommend for this type of product.

How much does Food for Joe cost per month

Food for Joe doesn’t publish a price table by size: the cost depends on the personalised questionnaire. Their website shows a starting figure of €1.20/day as an estimate for a full plan, but with no breakdown by weight or breed visible outside the questionnaire, so an exact monthly figure by size can’t be given without completing it yourself.

The initial transition plan (21 days) comes with a 10% discount — more modest than the 30% welcome discount Dogfy Diet offers, for example.

When to look for an alternative

Food for Joe has a good reputation, but there are profiles it might not suit:

1. If you want to buy without a subscription. Food for Joe’s model is subscription-based with a 3kg minimum order; if you’d rather make a one-off purchase with no plan, brands like COCOSI are also sold in supermarkets with no need to subscribe.
2. If you’re after a raw diet (BARF). Food for Joe is cooked, not raw; if BARF is what interests you, take a look at our BARF diet guide or specialist brands like Wild Balance.
3. If the final price worries you and you’d rather not fill in a questionnaire to find out, there are brands with a published per-kilo rate that’s more transparent.

Best Food for Joe alternatives

• COCOSI — semi-moist and wet, sold at Carrefour, Amazon and its own shop; one-off purchase with no mandatory subscription. Lower price per kilo (€5.56-10.68/kg depending on the line) and also has a cat option, though more limited.
• Wild Balance — BARF and cooked, dogs and cats, with a one-off purchase or a flexible subscription with no minimum term. Real catalogue price: €7-10.5/kg depending on format.
• Guau&Cat — cooked, BARF and snacks, dogs and cats, one-off purchase with a personalised calculator (no subscription).
• Dogfy Diet — the sector’s reference for cooked food by subscription, though dogs only; read our full review.

How to choose the best option for your pet

1. Do you prefer a subscription or a one-off purchase? If you don’t want to tie yourself to a plan, prioritise brands sold directly in shops or supermarkets.
2. Do you also have a cat? Food for Joe and Wild Balance cover both species; COCOSI has a smaller feline range (mostly treats and extras, with the odd complete-food option).
3. Cooked or raw? If you’d rather go with BARF, Food for Joe isn’t your option — check out Wild Balance or our BARF diet guide.

And the rule that applies to any new brand: make the switch gradually and check with your vet if your pet has any health condition.

Verdict

Food for Joe has one of the most solid reputations in the cooked food sector, with good ratings sustained across three different independent platforms. Its weak points are the usual ones for home delivery of fresh product (occasional logistics issues) and the lack of a transparent price without completing the questionnaire. If you’re after a cooked brand, with a cat range and a solid, verified reputation, it’s a sound option. If you’d rather buy without a subscription or go for a raw diet, check out the alternatives.

Frequently asked questions

What do customers think of Food for Joe?

Overall, very positive: it sits at around 4.2-4.7 out of 5 depending on the platform (Trustpilot, Trusted Shops, Judge.me), with thousands of reviews between them. Reviewers praise the quality of the food and how well pets take to it; the most common complaints are about logistics (packages arriving thawed, impractical packaging), not the food itself.

How much does Food for Joe cost per month?

There’s no fixed rate: it’s calculated with a questionnaire based on your pet. Their website shows a starting figure of €1.20/day as an estimate for a full plan, with no public breakdown by size. The initial 21-day transition plan comes with a 10% discount.

Is Food for Joe only for dogs?

No, it’s one of the few cooked food brands that also covers cats, with 3 dedicated feline recipes. Dogfy Diet, by comparison, only has a dog range.

What complaints are there against Food for Joe?

Spain’s consumer organisation (OCU) has logged several one-off complaints: boxes arriving partially thawed or mouldy, an incomplete order, and issues cancelling or getting a refund. Most appear as resolved. It’s a common pattern in this sector (delivering fresh/frozen product), not something unique to this brand.

Are there alternatives to Food for Joe?

Yes. If you’re after a one-off purchase with no subscription, options like COCOSI are also sold in supermarkets. If you want a raw diet, Wild Balance. And if price is what holds you back most, there are brands with lower per-kilo rates and no personalised questionnaire.