Penarth Nub News aims to support our community - promoting shops, businesses, artists, charities, clubs and sports groups.

We are profiling some of these in a feature called 'UP CLOSE'.

Today, we introduce you to Vale Raw Store - the Barry dog food shop that opened on Main Street on Monday.

We've all heard the expression 'fit as a butcher's dog'. But how about 'fit as a raw food supplier's dog'?

Well, that's the phrase that came to mind when I met Sultan. Gentle as a lamb but built like a tank, the American bull terrier belongs to husband and wife business duo Shak and Hanna Bousouf.

On Monday, the Sully couple opened the first shop in the Vale to exclusively sell a large range of raw dog food - joining a worldwide revolution in pet ownership.

"We've already had people coming in and telling us they used to travel miles to get raw dog food," Shak tells Nub News. "Now they don't have to."

We live in an era of wellness and nutritionists, where we all understand the importance of the food we eat.

According to Hanna, this trend is naturally spilling over into the canine world.

"Everyone seems to be going down the more natural and healthy route in their own diets, and that's spreading to dogs," she says.

"We used to feed our dogs dry food, but we looked into it and the raw food - which is like what they would eat in the wild - is best for them," continues Shak.

"The food we sell mimics prey. It has the meat, the bone, the liver, the kidney - so the dogs get a wide range of nutrients."

The store sells everything from poultry to beef to fish to rabbit. They say a diverse raw food diet is packed with health benefits.

"It's best for their coats, their health, their weight," says Shak.

"It has all the natural supplements in it - and you see it in your pet. Their teeth look different, their mood, their poos, they're less gassy. Their health, inside and out, is just a lot better."

It is important for Nub News to mention that the veterinary community is divided on the issue of raw dog feed.

Hanna says they are not trying to persuade anyone.

"We did the research, tried it and it worked for us. We're not telling people that they have to come down here or that they should stop feeding their dogs dry. It's just whatever works better for them.

"But when we did it, the difference was massive. It was honestly like having a different dog, so much more energy, happier... just more like a dog really.

"A lot of people are put off by the price, but we're trying to make it available for everyone, which is why we have so many deals.

"We're trying to push the raw food but in a way that everyone can afford. It's a similar price to dry food and the dogs absolutely love it."

Follow valerawstore on Instagram for more information or pop into the shop at 85 Main Street, Barry.

You can even bring your dog.