W. G. Clarke & Sons was established in Limehouse, London, in 1851 as a purveyor of food for game and poultry and dog food. At this time the packaging and marketing of dog food was a relatively recent innovation, and most dogs were fed scraps and whatever food their master might prepare for them. The company had a dog food factory called the Anchor Patent Biscuit Works in east London which produced Metoxdog food made from buffalo meat, as well as City Meat Dog Biscuits and Buffalo Dog Cakes.
W. G. Clarke & Sons later became a subsidiary of Spratt's Patent Ltd. which in turn became part of Spillers in 1961. In 1968 W. G. Clarke & Sons was made responsible for pet product interests other than food, and for sales of pet food to specialist outlets and customers such as pet shops, breeders and kennels. In 1979 Spillers was acquired by Dalgety who sold the pet foods side of the business to Nestlé in 1997.
Advertisement c.1890s