Du Jour: Mary Sullivan, Jake’s Cuisine

Interest in high-quality pet food is on the rise, but a quiet Baton Rouge-based producer has been at it for more than 25 years. Mary Sullivan, founder of all-natural Jake’s Cuisine, developed the premium dog food out of necessity back home in Australia in 1984. The family’s champion bull terrier, Jake, was mysteriously poisoned, and despite top care, was sent home to die. Sullivan was desperate to get Jake to eat, so leaning on her dual interest in catering and natural foods, she came up with a formula of ground turkey, organic vegetables, organic whole grains, sea kelp, vinegar, ginger and more. Jake ate, fully recovered and lived to be 15, says Sullivan. Get the whole story on the dog food fit for a king in this week’s Du Jour by clicking here.—Maggie Heyn RichardsonTo read previous Du Jour features on local chefs and other culinary experts, click here.