A SCOTTISH dog chew manufacturer that saw its sales to Europe drop “off a cliff” after Brexit has been forced to open a production facility in France to cater for its European customers.

Antos Pet Foods has specialised in natural, long lasting chews since Antoon Murphy and school friend Lloyd Murdoch started in 2005, selling them door-to-door around pet shops in Ayrshire and drumming up publicity at various dog shows. Since those early days the company has grown, employing 19 people and supplying around 3000 pet shops across the UK, with a turnover approaching £8.5 million.

Murphy told The National his was one of the few lucky companies to prosper through the pandemic, with the boom in dog ownership and people spending more time with their pets.

However, he said that changed with Brexit: “Before the end of 2020, we were exporting to 23 countries throughout Europe with that part of our business making up 20% of our sales, but growing and showing real potential for further growth.

“In January this year, our export sales fell off a cliff and we haven’t actually been able to export a single order since the UK left the single market.

“We were expecting there to be some kind of mutual recognition of standards in the Brexit agreement so that export health certificates would not be required for sending products like ours into the EU.

“It took us about 10 weeks of daily calls and emails with the Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) to finally get somewhere in obtaining export health certificates for our products.”

After weeks of dealing with the agency, Murphy said they had still not managed to despatch any orders.

“We couldn’t find a single haulage company that wanted to take pallets of what is considered animal feed,” he said. “It was deemed too risky in case our documentation was not in order or the goods were refused or delayed somewhere in transit.”

They decided enough was enough and have now set up a new company in France to service their export customers. Murphy said: “I have moved to France with my wife and have started the business here now called Nova Dog Chews.

“Trying to continue selling products that require export declarations, export health certificates and then import declarations (by our EU customers) was going to be impossible especially given the fact that couriers and transport companies did not want to take our goods.

“This move will obviously mean a loss in tax revenue, jobs and investment in the UK economy. However, our European customers are happy that they don’t have to deal with a British business anymore with the implications that now has.

“It is a very frustrating situation for any UK food or animal food business that exports to the EU.”