Yummers review

If you're a fan of "Queer Eye," you may have seen that cast members Jonathan Van Ness and Antoni Porowski recently launched their own pet food brand, Yummers. The company currently sells a line of gourmet and functional pet food mix-ins, and its focus is on using high-quality and locally sourced ingredients to create treats that pets—and their owners—will love.

There's no shortage of pet supplements or treats out there today, so we wanted to see how Yummers products stand up to the competition. My two golden retrievers, Addy and Ace, and my cat Piper were more than willing to test out the treats—here's what we thought about the new product line.

Yummers Pet Food

The company currently sells a line of gourmet and functional pet food mix-ins, and its focus is on using high-quality and locally sourced ingredients to create treats that pets—and their owners—will love.

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What we like

The products are definitely pet-approved

Yummers has products for both cats and dogs, so all three of my pets got to enjoy new treats during testing. As soon as I opened the package of Freeze-Dried Chicken Meal Mix-Ins, both the dogs and cat came running. The cat even went so far as to try to steal the package as I was taking pictures, so I think it's safe to say these treats are pet-approved!

We mostly tested out the Pure Protein treats and Tender Morsels. I added a handful to each of my pet's meals at dinner, and they always picked out the treats first before eating their regular kibble. I will say that the Pure Protein treats seemed to be their favorite, but they had no problem eating the Tender Morsels, either.

Yummers also has a line of health-focused Supplements targeted toward things like digestive health and skin/coat health, but I didn't test these out. One of my dogs has a sensitive stomach, and I've found that she doesn't always react well to these types of products.

The ingredients are high-quality

One of the selling points of Yummers is that its products are made from high-quality, locally sourced ingredients. The supplements and treats are made in the USA, and the protein is free-range, cage-free, or pasture-raised from local farms.

I won't claim to be an expert on the makeup of pet food, but as a pet owner, I like that the ingredient lists on these products are short and easy to read. I recognize the majority of the ingredients—things like beef, beef liver, turkey, chicken, and cranberries are generally at the top of the list—and it seems like the brand really did its best to avoid artificial flavors, chemicals, and preservatives. Most of the products I tested were also free of soy, wheat, and corn, which many people view as "filler" ingredients.  

What we don't like

The supplements are quite pricey, especially if you have large pets

Pet foods, treats, and supplements are often expensive—it's the price we pay for loving our furry friends—but I was still a bit taken aback by Yummers prices. The mix-in supplements are $30 for an 8-ounce bag—that's a lot, especially if you have larger pets. I did the math based on the brand's recommended serving size, and if I was feeding just one of my dogs a Yummers mix-in supplement daily, the 8-ounce package would only last us 19 days. That shakes out to more than $1 a day!

The Yummers "Pure Protein" treats are also higher in price than I'd expect. The beef liver and cheese versions are $15 for just 2.5 ounces, and the chicken is $18 for 2.5 ounces. By comparison, you can get a 3-ounce bag of Purebites Freeze-Dried Chicken Breast for $11. Considering they're both one-ingredient products—it's literally just freeze-dried chicken—there's unlikely to be much noticeable difference between them.

The products aren't formulated by veterinary nutritionists

As both a product reviewer and pet owner, I've spent a lot of time writing about, researching, and buying pet food, and every expert I've ever spoken to recommends purchasing pet foods that have been formulated by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. These professionals go through extensive training to understand the ins and outs of pet nutrition, and they're uniquely qualified to formulate commercial pet foods and supplements—more so than your average veterinarian or food scientist.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Yummers products were developed by one of these experts. In the FAQ section, the brand states that the "mix-ins were developed by a veterinarian and formulated by a PhD Nutritionist" and that the "tender morsels were formulated by professionals with a background in food science." Personally, I would have liked to see them go the extra step to involve a veterinary nutritionist in the process, especially considering the high price point. 

Should you buy Yummers pet supplements and treats?

Your pets will like them, but your wallet won't.

If it was up to my dogs and cat, they would eat Yummers every day with their meals. They eagerly wolfed down the pieces mixed into their afternoon kibble, and they would come running any time they heard me opening the bag. I also used the Pure Protein pieces as high-value treats, as my dogs really loved the meaty little bites—more so than their regular treats.

However, I have to admit that I won't buy these treats again. They're more expensive than similar products, and while they do use high-quality ingredients, I can't find anything special about these products to justify the high price point. Plus, my two 50-pound dogs make quick work of the small packages, so it's just not a sustainable option for us. Shop Yummers