Huds and Toke

Huds and Toke is an Australian pet-treat manufacturer based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Founded in 2014 by Russell and Emma Gibbons, the business developed from home-based baking into a dedicated manufacturing operation. Its product range is focused on treats rather than complete companion-animal diets and includes biscuits and snack products for dogs, horses and small pets. The company presents sustainability as a central part of its production model. Its manufacturing facility is solar-powered, and it has explored alternative proteins including black soldier fly larvae in pet-treat formulations. This approach places Huds and Toke within the growing segment of pet-food and pet-treat businesses seeking to reduce resource use and broaden the ingredients used in animal nutrition. The company’s sustainability positioning is not limited to marketing claims; it is also associated with the design of its manufacturing operations and experimentation with lower-impact protein sources. A notable commercial collaboration was the development of Doggie Doughnuts with Krispy Kreme Australia. The product adapted the visual format and flavour inspiration associated with doughnuts into dog-safe biscuit treats, creating a co-branded offering that connected a human-food brand with the expanding premium pet-treat category. Huds and Toke’s broader portfolio includes dog biscuits, horse cookies and treats for smaller companion animals, allowing it to serve several animal categories rather than concentrating exclusively on dogs. The company has expanded beyond the Australian market and has been reported as exporting to Japan, Singapore, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom. Export growth has attracted media attention and government support, including assistance associated with Queensland’s Advance Queensland grants. These programs helped the business move from a home-based production model toward a purpose-built facility and supported its development as an export-oriented Queensland manufacturer. Huds and Toke has also received recognition through founder Emma Gibbons, who was named a recipient of the 2023 Queensland AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award. The award highlighted her role in building the business and represented recognition of women’s contribution to rural and regional enterprise. Overall, Huds and Toke occupies a specialist position in the pet-products sector: it combines Australian manufacturing, multi-species treat production, sustainability initiatives, product innovation and international distribution.

Huds and Toke was established in 2014 by Russell and Emma Gibbons in Queensland, Australia. The business began as a home-based baking operation producing treats for animals. Its early development reflected a small-manufacturer model in which recipes and production were tested at a domestic scale before the company moved toward a more formal commercial structure. With assistance connected to Advance Queensland grants, Huds and Toke progressed from home production to a purpose-built manufacturing facility on the Sunshine Coast. This transition provided a foundation for greater production capacity and helped the company develop from a local maker into an export-oriented pet-treat manufacturer. The facility’s use of solar power became part of the company’s sustainability profile and supported its public positioning as a manufacturer attentive to energy use and production impacts. The company’s range broadened across animal categories. Dog biscuits and snacks formed a central part of the offering, while horse cookies and treats for small pets extended the business beyond the mainstream dog-and-cat segment. Huds and Toke also explored alternative proteins, including black soldier fly larvae, in response to interest in new and potentially lower-impact sources of animal nutrition. This experimentation aligned the company with broader changes in the pet-food industry, where sustainability, ingredient innovation and functional or premium treats have become increasingly visible themes. Product development also included partnerships with established consumer brands. In collaboration with Krispy Kreme Australia, Huds and Toke introduced Doggie Doughnuts, dog-safe biscuits shaped like doughnuts and inspired by Krispy Kreme’s flavour identity. The collaboration gave the company a distinctive, highly recognisable product format while demonstrating how pet treats can use familiar human-food cues without being intended for human consumption. As manufacturing and product development matured, Huds and Toke expanded its international reach. Its export markets have included Japan, Singapore, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom. Export activity brought the company media attention and government interest, particularly as an example of a Queensland business taking a specialised food-manufacturing product into overseas markets. Founder Emma Gibbons received the 2023 Queensland AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award. The recognition added a leadership and regional-enterprise dimension to the company’s public story, acknowledging the role of a woman founder in developing a rural or regional business. Huds and Toke’s documented history therefore combines entrepreneurial beginnings, government-supported manufacturing expansion, multi-species product development, sustainability initiatives, brand collaboration and international exports. The available material does not establish a detailed corporate ownership history, public listing, or later acquisition, so the business is best described as an active Australian private manufacturer and brand.

• 2023

  Emma Gibbons receives a Queensland Rural Women’s Award

  [1]Huds and Tokeen.wikipedia.org

  Co-founder Emma Gibbons receives the Queensland AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award.

• 2014

  Huds and Toke is founded

  [1]Huds and Tokeen.wikipedia.org

  Russell and Emma Gibbons establish Huds and Toke in Queensland, initially developing the business through home-based baking of animal treats.

• The company moves into a purpose-built facility

  [1]Huds and Tokeen.wikipedia.org

  With support associated with Advance Queensland grants, Huds and Toke transitions from home production to a purpose-built manufacturing facility on the Sunshine Coast.

• International export markets are developed

  [1]Huds and Tokeen.wikipedia.org

  The company expands exports beyond Australia, reaching markets including Japan, Singapore, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom.

An Australian, sustainability-focused manufacturer of baked and snack-style treats for dogs, horses and small companion animals, combining local production with export distribution and selected brand collaborations.

• Dog treats

  Dog biscuits and treats

  Huds and Toke manufactures baked biscuits and snack-style treats for dogs. The range forms a core part of the company’s pet-treat business and reflects its emphasis on products made in its Queensland facility. Specific formulas and complete ingredient details are not established in the available reference material.

• Horse treats

  Horse cookies and treats

  The company produces cookies and other treat products for horses, giving Huds and Toke a presence in an animal category less commonly served by mainstream companion-pet snack brands. The available sources identify the product category but do not provide a complete catalogue or detailed nutritional specifications.

• Small-pet treats

  Small-animal treats

  Huds and Toke makes snacks for small companion animals. These products broaden the brand’s portfolio beyond dogs and horses, although the available reference material does not specify every species, recipe or retail format included in the line.

• Collaborative dog treat

  Doggie Doughnuts

  Doggie Doughnuts are dog-safe, doughnut-shaped biscuits created in collaboration with Krispy Kreme Australia. The product uses the recognisable form and flavour inspiration of Krispy Kreme doughnuts while adapting the concept for dogs. It is a notable example of Huds and Toke’s co-branded product development.

• Krispy Kreme Australia x Doggie Doughnuts

  Australia

  Huds and Toke collaborated with Krispy Kreme Australia on a dog-safe biscuit presented in a doughnut shape and inspired by Krispy Kreme’s flavour identity.

  Outcome. The collaboration expanded the visibility of Huds and Toke’s dog-treat range and linked the brand with a well-known food-brand partner.

  Source

• Adopt sustainability as an operating and product-development themeStrategy

  Background

  Huds and Toke developed its business in a pet-treat market where production impacts and ingredient sourcing are increasingly discussed.

  Action taken

  The company operated a solar-powered manufacturing facility and used alternative protein inputs such as black soldier fly larvae in product development.

  Aftermath

  These measures became part of the brand’s sustainability positioning and helped distinguish it within the pet-treat sector.

  Source

• Expand from domestic production into export marketsStrategy

  Background

  After developing manufacturing capacity in Queensland, Huds and Toke sought to commercialise its pet treats beyond Australia.

  Action taken

  The company exported products to markets including Japan, Singapore, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom.

  Aftermath

  The export program increased the company’s international footprint and attracted media and government attention.

  Source

1. 1Huds and Tokeen.wikipedia.org