Simpsons grain-free dog food: which recipes qualify
Simpsons makes both grain-free and grain-inclusive dog food, so "Simpsons grain-free" describes one part of the wider range rather than the whole brand. The Sensitive line and the 80/20 recipes are potato-based with no cereals at all; the Rice range genuinely is not.
The two halves of the Simpsons range
Simpsons' Sensitive recipes — built around a single named protein such as duck, salmon, lamb or chicken, paired with potato — list no cereal ingredient. The 80/20 recipes, which lead with a high percentage of named meat or fish, are built the same way, with potato rather than rice, maize or oats providing the carbohydrate.
Separately, Simpsons also makes recipes such as Chicken & Rice and Senior Light Chicken & Brown Rice, which do include brown rice, maize and oats in the ingredients list. These aren't a lesser product — they're simply built to a different specification, and the two exist side by side in the same brand.
How to tell the two apart when you're ordering
The clearest signal is the name: recipes described as "Sensitive" or "80/20" are the grain-free side of the range, while anything naming rice, or described as a "Rice" recipe, contains cereals. Where you're not sure, the composition panel on each product page settles it — potato listed early with no cereal named means grain-free; rice, maize or oats anywhere in the list means it isn't.
Neither side of the range is inherently better for every dog. A dog with a known grain sensitivity may do better on the potato-based recipes; a dog with no such issue can do perfectly well on either.
For this need
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Simpsons Puppy Sensitive Salmon Potato
Grain-free salmon and potato puppy food, suitable for large breeds to 18 months
From£17.09
Simpsons Dog 80 20 Meat Fish
A grain-free dry food with five named meat and fish sources, for adult and senior dogs
From£20.35
Simpsons Dog Sensitive Lamb Potato
A grain-free lamb and potato dry food for dogs with sensitive skin or digestion
From£17.05
Simpsons Dog Sensitive Duck Potato
Grain-free duck and potato food for dogs with sensitive skin or digestion
From£18.95
Simpsons Dog Sensitive Salmon Potato
Grain-free dry dog food for sensitive digestion, built on at least 45% salmon
From£16.95
Simpsons Puppy Chicken Rice
Chicken and brown rice puppy food, suitable from weaning through to adulthood
From£15.65
Simpsons Dog Chicken Rice
Adult dry dog food with chicken, brown rice and joint-support actives built in
From£14.75
Simpsons Dog 80/20 Fish
Grain-free dry dog food built around 80% fish, with 20% fruit, veg and botanicals
£89.95
Simpsons Dog Sensitive Chicken Potato
A grain-free chicken and potato dry food for dogs with sensitive skin or digestion
From£16.95
Simpsons Dog Lamb & Brown Rice
Complete dry food for adult dogs with lamb and brown rice, and a built-in joint-care package
£59.55
Simpsons Senior Light Chicken & Brown Rice
A lower-oil chicken and brown rice food for senior, overweight or less active dogs
£62.65
James Wellbeloved Grain Free Senior Dry Dog Food Turkey & Veg
Grain-free turkey kibble for senior dogs, with glucosamine and chondroitin for joints
£82.35
Common questions
- Is Simpsons a grain-free brand?
- Partly. The Sensitive and 80/20 recipes are grain-free, built around potato rather than cereals, while other recipes in the range, such as the Rice line, do contain grains like rice, maize and oats. Check the specific recipe rather than assuming the whole brand is one way.
- Which Simpsons recipes are grain-free?
- The Sensitive recipes (Duck & Potato, Salmon & Potato, Lamb & Potato and Chicken & Potato) and the 80/20 range are grain-free, using potato as the main carbohydrate rather than any cereal.
- Does my dog need a grain-free food?
- Only some dogs genuinely benefit from avoiding grain, usually those with a diagnosed sensitivity. Most dogs digest cereals without any issue, so it isn't a default requirement — check with your vet if you suspect a specific sensitivity.
- Can I switch between the two ranges?
- Yes, but introduce any change gradually over several days by mixing increasing amounts of the new food with the old, rather than swapping in one go, to give your dog's digestion time to adjust.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.