The registered office and main trading address is Parkway Farm Business Park, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 3AR.

Foundation: 1948

Dorwest traces its origins to 1948, when Murray and Dorothy Ellis founded the business. Murray had an interest in herbs, plants, seeds, and their potential applications for health. According to the company’s historical archive, the business was originally associated with the name Dorset Herb Farm.

Dorothy died relatively early, leaving Murray to continue developing the business while raising their children, James and Mary. Murray continued growing plants and seeds and developing formulations, some of which eventually became part of Dorwest’s long-term product heritage.

The company’s early philosophy emphasized quality, honesty, herbs, and personal service, principles that Dorwest says remain important to the brand today.

Transition toward animal health

A major transformation occurred during the 1960s and 1970s, when Murray’s daughter Mary became increasingly involved in the company.

Mary later married Tony Boughton, and together they combined their interests in herbal products and dogs. This helped move Dorwest toward the specialist veterinary and companion-animal market that defines the company today.

This transition was particularly important because Dorwest began developing a much closer relationship with the dog-show and veterinary communities.

Connection with Crufts

One of the most important parts of Dorwest’s history is its long association with Crufts, the UK’s major dog show.

Dorwest first exhibited at Crufts in 1973, when the show was held at Olympia in London. The company subsequently became a regular presence at major UK championship dog shows.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Tony Boughton played a major role in developing Dorwest’s presence within the show-dog community, while Mary handled areas including mail order, administration, and regulatory matters. Dorwest also obtained veterinary medicine licences during the 1970s.

The company’s Crufts presence has continued for more than five decades. Dorwest celebrated its 50th year at Crufts in 2023.

This history is significant to the brand because Dorwest’s identity isn’t based solely on selling supplements online; it has historically been connected with breeders, exhibitors, dog owners, veterinary professionals, and specialist dog communities.

Development during the 1980s and 1990s

The 1980s and 1990s were an important period of product and manufacturing development.

Dorwest introduced or developed several products that became associated with its heritage range, including:

• Keeper’s Mix®
• Valerian Compound
• Other herbal formulations aimed at companion animals.

During this period, the company also established its own GMP-licensed production facility, strengthening its ability to control manufacturing and product quality.

Keeper’s Mix® subsequently became one of Dorwest’s best-known products. The company says it has been a bestseller for more than 40 years.

The third generation

The business entered another stage of development around the turn of the millennium.

Roly Boughton, the son of Mary and Tony, joined the company shortly before the new millennium, followed later by his sister Jo Boughton. The business expanded its presence in areas such as veterinary practices, wholesale distribution and international export.

Mary Boughton was awarded an MBE in 2005 for services to business.

Jo subsequently became Managing Director in 2011. Her husband, Ben Boughton-White, joined the company in 2015, and the two went on to manage the business together. Dorwest describes them as the third generation of the family involved in running the company.

Modern Dorwest

In the 2010s, Dorwest underwent a significant brand refresh and rebranding, while deliberately retaining elements of its historical identity.

The company subsequently moved to its current premises in Poundbury, Dorchester, in rural West Dorset.

Today, Dorwest describes itself as a specialist pet-health company with more than 75 years of experience in herbal pet care.

Dorwest’s portfolio is primarily divided around different aspects of dog and cat health and wellbeing.

Its current product categories include:

• Digestive health
• Anxiety and behaviour
• Joints and mobility
• Skin and coat
• All-round health
• Cognitive support
• Hormonal and fertility support
• Dental health
• Natural feeding
• Topical skin and coat care
• Herbal and homeopathic remedies

The company’s product range includes tablets, powders, liquids, oils, balms, shampoos and dental products.

Examples of recognizable Dorwest products include:

Keeper’s Mix®

One of Dorwest’s heritage products, Keeper’s Mix® is marketed as an all-round herbal supplement for dogs and cats. Dorwest identifies it as one of its foundation products and says it has been a bestseller for more than 40 years.

Scullcap & Valerian Tablets

These tablets are positioned around stress and anxiety support for dogs and cats. Dorwest says the formulation is intended to provide calming support without drowsiness.

Valerian Compound

A liquid herbal product positioned as a relatively quick-acting option for managing anxiety and hyperactivity in dogs and cats.

MoveWellia®

A joint-support product designed for dogs experiencing joint-health challenges. It is part of Dorwest’s flagship Expert Collection.

Probiotic Plus

A newer digestive-health product combining prebiotic, probiotic and postbiotic approaches for dogs.

Green Releaf®

A herbal product marketed for support of skin, joints and the urinary system.

Tree Barks Powder

A digestive-support formulation intended to help maintain comfortable digestion and normal stools.

Beyond supplements

Although Dorwest is particularly associated with herbal supplements, it is not exclusively a supplement company.

Its topical range includes:

• Dog shampoos
• Shampoo bars
• Paw and nose balm
• Skin-care products
• Dental products
• Toothpaste
• Dental powders

For example, its Roast Dinner Toothpaste is formulated specifically for dogs and cats, while its Paw & Nose Balm is designed for dry noses and cracked paw pads.

This gives Dorwest a broader positioning around natural pet care, rather than simply nutritional supplementation.

A defining characteristic of Dorwest is its emphasis on herbal and natural ingredients.

The company says it prioritizes:

• High-quality herbs and botanicals
• Ethical sourcing
• Sustainability
• Purity
• Traceability
• Whole-plant ingredients
• Manufacturing quality
• GMP standards

Dorwest specifically states that its extracts are not second-stage extracts, instead emphasizing material derived directly from the whole plant and first pressings of oils.

The company also describes its products as being manufactured under strict guidelines and GMP standards for safety, quality and consistency.

Dorwest occupies an interesting position between natural pet wellness and veterinary medicine.

The company does not simply market itself as a generic “natural pet” brand. Its history includes licensed herbal veterinary medicines, and it says its products are used and trusted by veterinary professionals.

Dorwest also states that its customer-support team receives ongoing training so that advice can be tailored to an individual animal’s age, lifestyle and circumstances.

This is an important part of the company’s brand identity: herbal products presented with a relatively specialist, evidence- and quality-conscious pet-health positioning.

That said, individual product claims should be understood as product-specific health claims, rather than assuming that every herbal ingredient or supplement is clinically equivalent to a conventional veterinary treatment.

Dorwest’s history includes the creation of its own GMP-licensed production facility in the 1990s.

Today, the company emphasizes manufacturing standards and ingredient traceability as central components of its proposition.

Its stated quality approach includes:

1. Selecting high-quality herbs.
2. Prioritizing purity and traceability.
3. Using ethically sourced ingredients.
4. Using whole-plant or first-press ingredients where applicable.
5. Manufacturing according to strict quality standards.
6. Maintaining trained customer-advice staff.

Dorwest began primarily as a British business but has expanded internationally.

The company’s press information describes Dorwest as a worldwide brand available in more than 20 countries outside the UK.

The international expansion is part of the company’s broader development during the 2000s, when it expanded into export markets alongside veterinary practices and wholesale distribution.

Corporate social responsibility is another component of the modern Dorwest identity.

In 2018, the company’s 70th anniversary year, Dorwest launched the Dorwest Foundation. The initiative was intended to formalize the company’s charitable involvement with animals and animal-related causes.

Dorwest says it has historically supported charitable causes through donations of products and vouchers, as well as contributions to animal-related equipment and organizations.

Its flagship Keeper’s Mix® is also associated with the Foundation: Dorwest says 10% of profit from every sale is donated to animal charities.

From a branding perspective, Dorwest sits at the intersection of several markets:

Traditional herbal medicine → pet supplements → veterinary support → natural pet care → premium companion-animal wellness.

Its strongest differentiators are arguably:

• Long heritage: operating since 1948.
• Family ownership: now in its third generation.
• Specialization: focused specifically on companion animals rather than general human wellness.
• Herbal expertise: herbs are central to the company’s identity.
• Dog-show heritage: particularly its longstanding Crufts presence.
• Veterinary connection: licensed herbal veterinary medicines and relationships with veterinary professionals.
• Manufacturing emphasis: GMP and quality-control positioning.
• Natural-pet-care positioning: supplements combined with topical and dental products.
• International reach: products distributed beyond the UK.

The Dorwest Expert Collection is particularly important to the brand.

The company uses a silver band on these flagship products, which it describes as heritage or award-winning products with distinctive formulations. The collection includes products such as Keeper’s Mix® and MoveWellia®.

This creates a hierarchy within the portfolio: while Dorwest has a broad range of everyday pet-health products, the Expert Collection represents some of the products most closely associated with its heritage and expertise.

Dorwest is unusual in the modern pet-supplement industry because its corporate story is strongly tied to one family across three generations.

The succession can broadly be summarized as:

Murray & Dorothy Ellis → Mary & Tony Boughton → Jo Boughton-White & Ben Boughton-White

The first generation established the herbal business; the second generation transformed it into a specialist animal-health business; and the third generation has developed it into a modern, internationally oriented pet-care company.

This family continuity is a major part of Dorwest’s brand story.

As of 2026, Dorwest presents itself as a long-established British specialist in herbal pet care, with a product portfolio spanning supplements, herbal remedies, digestive support, joint care, anxiety and behavioural support, skin and coat care, dental care and natural feeding.

The company says it has more than 75 years of experience, remains family-run under the third generation, and operates from Poundbury in Dorset.

Its modern identity can therefore be summarized as:

A heritage British pet-health brand combining traditional herbal knowledge with modern manufacturing and quality standards, focused primarily on dogs and cats.

1. About Dorwest Herbs | Herbal Remedies & Supplements for Pets
2. Website Terms and Conditions of Use – Dorwest
3. Dorwest Herbs: Herbal Remedies & Supplements for Dogs & Cats