Introducing solids with Piccolo's new baby food service

There’s been a milestone mummy moment at Crummy Mummy HQ this week.

After six months of exclusive breastfeeding it’s time to start introducing baby number four to solids – and it turns out rather a lot has changed since I first started weaning baby number one!

When I started weaning the first time around I was that mum who made everything from scratch – I chopped and peeled and blended and froze my homemade creations in colourful little boxes and ice cube trays all carefully portioned and labelled. (So pleased I was with my efforts that I even used to open the freezer drawer after a batch cooking session sometimes just to look at all the little pots lined neatly up – but don’t tell anyone!)

I can’t even tell you the first time I reached for a pre-prepared baby food pouch, but I’m pretty sure it was well after the first year.

Nine years and three more babies later though I simply don’t have the time (or the inclination!) to spend hours in the kitchen cooking up three meals a day plus snacks for a baby that may or may not eat them (and let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than scraping a meal you’ve painstakingly made from scratch off the splash mat moments after serving it up).

Thankfully things have moved on a lot since I was weaning the first time around, and shop bought baby food isn’t what it once was – in fact it’s better than most of the stuff I could conjure up at home in the kitchen.

One of the new kids on the block since I was first weaning is organic baby and toddler food brand Piccolo, whose latest launch is a first-of-its-kind baby food subscription service.

Called ‘Just-For-You’, the new service delivers a personalised selection of Piccolo’s pouches, snacks, cooking ingredients and formula straight to your door with no online delivery slot required.

With Violet now six months old and Lockdown 2.0 upon us they very kindly gifted us a box to try out – and I have to say it couldn’t have come at a better time!

Introducing solids with Piccolo’s new baby food service

Of course we all want the best for our babies and their little tummies, but after four babies I find weaning and everything it entails more of a chore than a pleasure, so anything that helps make my life easier gets the thumbs up from me.

What’s in the box?

Each Just-For-You box is tailored to your baby’s age and dietary requirements as well as your lifestyle and eating goals, which are determined through an online questionnaire once you’ve signed up.

After answering the questions Violet was allocated a ‘taste explorer’ box, which is all about trying new flavours and embracing variety.

Recipes include pear, apple & spring greens with a hint of mint and sweet potato, apple, pear & beetroot as well as fruit pouches including pure mango and strawberry, banana & peach with wholegrain oats.

I’m keen to make sure Violet likes a range of flavours instead of favouring the sweet stuff, so we started off with the sweet and savoury blended pouches rather than the pure fruit ones.

Piccolo’s recipes are based on Mediterranean flavours so expect vegetables, fruit, herbs and spices, and in the interest of providing an honest review I tried them all myself too, and they really do taste delicious and homemade!

I wish I could show you a picture of this one smiling but trying everything for the first time has been such a taste sensation for her that instead I’ve got lots of pictures of her pulling some very funny faces instead!

How much does it cost?

Prices start at £35 for formula boxes containing two tubs, and from £50 for a food box containing 30 products (two cooking ingredients can be added for a further £5). All boxes include recipe cards and weaning guides, and delivery is free of charge. You can also set your own delivery schedule, so there’s no minimum subscription term required.

My verdict

Although Piccolo’s new subscription range is aimed at babies and toddlers the stir in pasta sauces were a hit with all of ours, and the oldest (nine) even had leftovers in her packed lunch. There aren’t many meals all of ours will eat without complaining, so I’ll be honest: I was astonished when they all wolfed down pasta sauce aimed at babies and toddlers and declared it a hit!

With Lockdown 2.0 upon us at the time of writing the new subscription service also means I don’t have to worry about going to a supermarket to stock up on what my little piccolo needs – it can all be delivered to our door contact free without leaving the house.

It also means I don’t have to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen everyday, giving me precious time to spend with Violet on our own when her brother and sisters are at school and nursery. And we all know that happy mum = happy baby!

We were gifted a Piccolo Just-For-You subscription box in exchange for this review. As always all opinions are my own and based on our own honest experience.