Scots deli is serving up brilliant breakfasts... for dogs!

Anne Schaeflein and her dog Lana (Andrew Cawley / DC Thomson)

EVERYONE knows a bowl of porridge is the best way to start a day – now man’s best friend is tucking in, too.

A canine-friendly deli in Perthshire is serving up bowls of special paw-ridge for its four-legged customers and the pooches can’t get enough of it.

At Corbie and Cheip, in Auchterarder, owner and dog can sit side-by-side and enjoy breakfast together.

Anne Schaeflein, the deli’s owner, came up with the idea shortly after opening last September and spent months working on the recipe with Ciaran Quigley of Barry Mill, near Carnoustie.

They developed a wholemeal oat that was suitable for dogs and now there’s a queue of wagging-tailed pups straining at the leash for a bowl of “dog cuisine”, as Anne calls it.

She said: “The deli was always going to be dog-friendly, as I’ve owned dogs throughout my life and know how nice it is to be able to take them in to places.

“People are much more educated on food provenance and animal welfare these days, so I came up with the idea of porridge for dogs and collaborated with Ciaran on it.

“I tested it on my two dogs, Lana and Otto, who loved it.

“We serve the porridge warm with slivers of German bacon or offal from nearby Grierson organic farm, which makes it even more appetising for dogs, or alternatively we can put vegetables through it.

“It’s also quite pleasant smelling, unlike other dog food.

“Most dog owners are guilty of treating their pet almost like a child, so it’s nice to be able to take them somewhere they can eat alongside their owner.”

The bowl of warmed porridge costs £3.50 if the dog is sitting in while a 100g bag of the oats can be taken away for £2.50.

Anne has now expanded into dog treats, also made from the oats, and is planning mail order doggy hampers for customers who can’t make it to Auchterarder.

“I think what we’re doing is unique and the dogs love it,” Anne added.

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