Before pitching to the Dragons, Dylan Watkins – founder of Poppy’s Picnic – made a memorable appearance on another of Britain’s cult TV shows: Come Dine With Me. But this wasn’t just any episode. Dylan appeared on Couples Come Dine With Me with a mission: to show that dogs deserve real food, just like we do. The result? Masks, collars, black tie, and a full three-course dinner made with ingredients safe for both humans and hounds. In this interview with Sally Walker, Dylan shares the highs, lows and unexpected impact of one of the craziest things he’s ever done on TV.

Interview with Dylan Watkins

Sally: So Dylan, what inspired you to go on Couples Come Dine With Me?

Dylan: Couples Come Dine With Me is certainly one of the crazier things Poppy and I have ever done, and perhaps even crazier that I didn’t do it with Michael, my long-term – and long-suffering – partner of over 12 years. I actually teamed up with a lovely lady I met at Discover Dogs and Crufts. We both had a shared passion for showing that dogs should eat fresh, nutritious food just like we do. We thought the show would be a great platform to highlight that message – and to have some fun doing it.

Sally: What was the concept behind your dinner party?

Dylan: We created a themed evening called “A Dog’s Dinner”. It was bonkers, beautiful, and as mad as a box of frogs – and I loved every second. It was the first time in the show’s 14-year history that contestants were served dog food. Of course, it was made with the same fresh, raw ingredients we use at Poppy’s Picnic – all perfectly human-grade and delicious. To top it off, we asked the guests to wear masks and collars over their evening wear. They really got into it – in a slightly horrified, confused kind of way.

Sally: That sounds wild. What was filming like?

Dylan: Exhausting. It was a full three days of back-to-back filming. You’re mic’d up the whole time. You can’t even nip to the loo without someone listening in. We didn’t finish until 3:00am on one of the nights. There were definitely moments when I asked myself what I’d got into. But looking back, we laughed a lot. The crew were brilliant, and the energy was just... mad in the best way.

Sally: Why did you want to put yourself – and your food – on the line like that?

Dylan: It’s easy to laugh at Come Dine With Me, but it’s a show the whole country knows and loves. I wanted to use it as a platform to raise awareness. Over 50% of dogs in the UK are obese. Many suffer from preventable diseases like diabetes and even cancer. Just as ultra-processed food harms humans, it harms dogs too. I thought if I could make people stop and think about what’s really in their dog’s bowl, the show would have done its job. And believe it or not – it worked.

Sally: How did the other contestants react?

Dylan: At first, they thought I was completely bonkers. And to be fair, it was a lot – dog masks, collars, dog food. But the food tasted good, and once they understood the reason behind it, they started to warm to the idea. In fact, two of the contestants, Kelly and Sam, ended up getting a miniature schnauzer called Minnie after the show – and they now feed her Poppy’s Picnic!

What Happened Next

The *Come Dine With Me* episode was just the beginning. After the show aired, Dylan was invited to appear on multiple national platforms including This Morning and James Martin’s Saturday Morning, where he cooked up dog-friendly dishes live on air. There were radio interviews, podcast appearances, magazine features – all helping to spread the fresh feeding message far and wide.

The impact was huge. Poppy’s Picnic saw a significant rise in sales and customer interest, with more people than ever curious about raw feeding and wanting to learn how to improve their dog’s health through real, nutritious meals.

The show might have looked like playful chaos – and in many ways, it was – but behind the costumes and camera crews was a serious message. The national exposure helped Dylan reach thousands of dog owners who’d never considered raw feeding before. That, he says, made it all worth it.

Feeding Dogs the Fresh Way

At Poppy’s Picnic, we believe every dog deserves to eat real food. That’s why we make award-winning raw meals using fresh British meat, vegetables and natural ingredients – with no artificial nasties.

Our recipes are suitable for all dogs – from puppies to seniors – and come in a range of easy-to-serve formats including MIGHTY MINCE, POWER BALLS and RAW POWER.

Whether you saw Dylan on TV or are just curious about feeding better, visit poppyspicnic.co.uk to explore the range and discover the benefits of feeding fresh.