A London mum made redundant during the pandemic and her two-year-old son have joined forces to create a homemade food delivery service for young children.
Pots for Tots launched last month and is a new enterprise from entrepreneur Flora Campbell, 27, and her toddler son Toby who has the key role of chief taster.
Currently delivering food to Wandsworth, Lambeth and Merton, the clever business idea was designed to help parents who don’t have time to cook.
Campbell said: “As a mum, I know the guilt you feel when you end up giving your child plain pasta for dinner three nights running. However, I also know the elation you feel when you give them homemade nutritious meals every night of the week.”
The high-quality produce is sold & delivered only once Toby’s no-nonsense palette has confirmed the recipe is perfectly suitable for children from six months to six years old.
Cottage pie, chicken fricassee and seasonal risotto are options on the child-friendly menu and the company is proving to be a hit with ‘young tummies’ as it expands across south London.
The meals are backed by nutritionist Zoe Hamer from Gut Instinct and offer three to four different organic vegetables, free-range meat from the local butcher, fish and vegetarian options.
The delivery service also means parents can avoid shops and not face the challenges of securing online food delivery slots at large supermarkets during the pandemic.
Packaging used is sustainable too, pots are made from kraft paper, which is widely recyclable, the stickers are made from biodegradable cane fibre, the bags are made from recycled paper and even the ingredients are printed on recycled card.
Campbell said: “Our pots are here to liberate parents from meal times, and make the lives of mums and dads more convenient and less stressful.”
Making meal times easier for busy parents was a crucial objective for Campbell. She had experienced her own struggles when juggling motherhood and a full-time PR job in the city.
The limited time on her hands after work meant the creativity and sometimes the nutrition at meal times was lost.
To try and resolve the problem she looked to find a company that delivered homemade healthy meals but found there was nothing cost-effective or nutritious available.
This firsthand experience inspired the business concept for Pots for Tots and the time to fill the gap in the market came in a ‘now or never situation’ when Campbell was made redundant.
The talented mum and son duo are now currently working to help even more families and are raising money for charity Vital Meals.
Pots for Tots customers can donate a pot to families in need to make sure everyone is able to enjoy a meal on Christmas Day.
For more information visit www.potsfortots.co.uk and www.vitalmeals.org.
Feature image credit: Connie Campbell Photography.
