Many have claimed to produce tasty, organic baby food but my babies have always shunned the stuff.  Ultra heat-treated and slimy-textured, they may be labelled differently but they all taste the same.  Babies of discerning taste who love home-cooking are not easily fooled.

But sometimes, as a mum, I need a break.  Taking a road trip, visiting friends or even, let’s face it, making life easier for myself at home, it is good to have pre-prepared baby food in stock.  The Owl and The Pussycat’s new range of chilled baby food is all it purports to be.  “Just the way you’d make it,” is the claim and, I would argue, slightly better than I would have made it, in fact.

The recipes are adventurous and tasty (even by adult standards) with the texture of real ingredients.  The fact that it’s organic is just the icing on the cake.

Each pack of The Owl and The Pussycat chilled baby food contains two individual 100g pots, for £2.79.  It’s pricy, yes, but you’re getting high-quality, organic food that is genuinely tasty and nutritious.  To me, there is no comparison with conventional jars of baby food, which I simply would not buy for my children.

You can find The Owl and The Pussycat food in the fridge section of Waitrose or online at Ocado.  If, like me, you don’t regularly shop there, you can stock up the freezer as you would with portions of home-made food.

How do you fancy:

• Sweet potato with chicken, French beans and coriander,
• Tomato and celeriac risotto with cheddar cheese
  or
• Parsnip with beef and apple?

Personally, I My six-month-old daughter thought they were all delicious.  The fact that they are lightly steamed and then chilled means that the food has real flavour and nutritional value.

I have yet to sample the recently launched sweet dishes from The Owl and The Pussycat but they are sure to be delicious.  The proof of the pudding?  Only one way to find out!

Take cotton, for example.  A simple, natural material, you might think, but Natalie Southgate, founder of The Organic Toy Company knows otherwise.

“Conventional, non-organic cotton is one of the most environmentally devastating and toxic forms of agriculture in the world,” she says, explaining that the chemicals involved in cotton production are responsible for polluting the environment and poisoning the farmers who work with them.  Every year there are over 20,000 deaths among cotton farmers and their workers in developing countries.

This is unacceptable.

Southgate’s investigations into organic cotton began with her own children in mind.  She found that conventional toys aggravated the symptoms of eczema and allergies: little wonder when you consider the chemical cocktail that has gone into making them.  Organically produced materials, without added harmful chemicals, are far kinder to allergy sufferers.  They’re kinder to the environment too.

At The Organic Toy Company, you will find an ever-growing selection of organic toys and baby gifts, all ethically sourced.

When it comes to online toy shopping, I have yet to find a more comprehensive website.  Product descriptions detail the precise origins of each item, including information about the source of materials used and the ethical working conditions of manufacture.  At last, parents have a real chance to consider the environmental and ethical impact of the toys they buy.

Have a look at The Organic Toy Company’s new website, which went live recently.  Gorgeous toys, quality information and unshakable ethics: we could all learn a lot.

Rachel Pattisson is a freelance copy writer. She writes a blog called Really Rachel and you can hire her here: ThoughtTrains.co.uk.

Established in 1990 by Prince Charles, Duchy Originals is a pioneer of the organic food movement. Beginning with a humble oaten biscuit in 1992, a recent partnership with Waitrose means the Duchy range will include over 500 organic products (see video below). Despite their success Duchy have remained true to the laudable values laid out in their good food charter.

Duchy are good for the environment as they are 100% organic, so no nasties, and their small producer base ensures, they remain accountable.

Duchy do good as 100% of their profits go to the Prince’s Charities Foundation, with over £6m donated so far. So as you reach for their chocolate covered toffee biscuits on the supermarket shelf you are helping to fund arts projects in Kabul and getting young people into employment in Glasgow.

Duchy taste pretty good as well! Don’t take my word for it (although their damson jam is good on toast) but that of the experts at the Great Taste Awards 2009, where Duchy was awarded 7 Gold merits for faultless flavours!

Duchy promotes a “virtuous circle” of sustainable farming, traditional skills and natural production to create a product base which will ensure your tummy AND your conscience are satisfied!

Susan Dixon is a freelance writer.