Find out what Mumsnetters thought of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food

[LucyBMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the Mumsnet users with a child aged 7 to 18 months who have been testing Oliver’s Cupboard baby food.

Here’s what Oliver’s Cupboard have to say:
“Oliver’s Cupboard are bringing adventurous food to the table so everyone can nurture their family in a way that works for them. It is full of organic and flavoursome ingredients, perfect for making interesting and nutritious balanced meals. We bring you recipes from countries steeped in tradition yet very much part of our everyday modern life though the things we eat. We believe that every child can be an adventurous eater through the introduction of amazing aromas, flavours and textures at an early age – helping to educate their palate and broaden their tastes.”

Testers, you can now share your feedback! Please do so by responding to the questions below on this thread, as well as filling in the survey that we have emailed to you.

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try?
2. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried?
3. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket?
4. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?

All testers who leave the required feedback will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 voucher (from a list).

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

Insight T&Cs apply

[Kennylou12]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try?
   

We tried the salmon, vegetable kosharo and vegetable sambar

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried?
   

They were different flavours than he would normally have.

1. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket?
   

It was fine, I wouldn’t say it would stand out as they are all quite colourful

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?
   

I would like to see more Chinese food flavours like chow mien and sweet and sour.

[seaduck]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try?
   

Laksa, Sambar and Bahia stew.

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried?
   

For me! They were interesting and different and my daughter seemed to enjoy them, she finished them all. I liked the salmon one.

1. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket?
   

Yes, I liked the packaging, the colours would attract me and I really enjoy finding new flavours for my daughter to enjoy.

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?
   

I'm not sure but something unusual, not the usual baby good fare like cottage pie etc.

[StellatheCat]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try? Salmon Bahia, Tom yum, vegetable sambar
   
2. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried? I liked the smell! I could smell the lemongrass from one of them. Lovely and fragrant. DS wolfed them all down! They smelled like real meals.
   
3. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket? The packaging would stand out a little. But I don’t like how awkward they are to recycle. If these colours and labels were featured on glass jars that I could reuse/recycle easier, that would stand out more to me as a product that matched my values better
   
4. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range South American food for sure! It is one cuisine that the whole family love and it would be great to introduce him to those flavours without us sacrificing the heat from our dishes! And south East Asian, which at the opposite end of the spectrum is one that I am not confident in making myself.
   

Thank you for letting us try them. They arrived during what seemed like an endless isolation so brought a little colour to our meals!

[toastandmoretoast]

1. We tried the Salmon Bahia, Tom Yum and Vegetable Koshari.
   

1. My toddler liked the Vegetable Koshari the best and I think this was the nicest tasting one as well. Plenty of flavour.
   

1. The packaging was nice and colourful so would stand out on the shelf but then a lot of them look similar.
   

1. As my son is 17 months old now I probably won’t buy any more of these pouches as they are more suited to 12 months and under. However I would’ve liked to see more interesting vegetarian pouches of baby food when I was buying them.
   

Thank you for the free samples.

[luanda111]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try?
   

vegetable koshari; vegetable sambar; bahia

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried?
   

Nice authentic flavours. I would like to introduce my baby as many natural flavours as possible.

1. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket?
   

I really love this cute cartoon like packaging. It is so easy to find on shelves.

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?
   

Latin American dishes

[ronswansonstache]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try? Korma, Tom Yum and Laksa
   
2. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried? She really enjoyed them. A lot of the prepared baby foods are all the same flavour really and I'm sure she's getting sick of sweet potato cottage pie. It's good that she can eat a more varied diet through pre prepared food as I don't always have time to prepare something from scratch and I don't want her to eat a limited diet because of this
   
3. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket? Nice bright colours - I liked it
   
4. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range? biryani, katsu, chinese flavurs like cashew nut or black bean
   

Some other comments - I felt the proposed price point (from the surveymonkey) seemed a bit steep but I would definately consider it as an occassional purchase in order to give her some variety. Would like to see other meals for later weaning stages. I like the flavours in the For Aisha range but like this product I do find it on the more expensive side

[addler]

1- Tom Yum, Vegetable Koshari and Korma
2- I liked that the pouches were different flavours to what’s normally found in the supermarkets, and meant that when he needed a pouch it wasn’t always just the same flavours.
3- The packaging was eye catching, a nice design and lovely bright colours.
4- Other countries that you don’t often see represented in baby food. African, Middle Eastern, South American maybe

[emmsyg]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try? Salmon, Laksa, Sambar
   

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried? I'd say she liked them without loving them. She's a total greedy guts when it comes to food, and she ate about 3/4 of these then pushed the spoon away on the rest. She is at 14 months though and definitely exerting preferences now when it comes to food.
   
2. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket? Honestly, I don't think the packaging was bad, but there was nothing stand out about it. I prefer the look of Piccolo/Babease which I just think looks fresher and has a vibe of healthiness about it (that's not to say either of these actual products are better in my opinion - my daughter has a real hatred for some of the Babease flavours ) I just personally prefer their look.
   
3. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range? Anything that helps introduce new flavours and spices!

[cookielove]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try? Korma, Salmon Bahia, Tom Yum
2. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried? Usually my little one likes punchy flavours, and fish. I don't know if its cause he is so fussy or his teeth are hurting but he wouldn't entertain these for more than a few mouthfuls. I would try them again though. I like the convenience of having a meal in a sucky pouch.
3. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Yes its fine, the brighter colours appeal to my little one.

Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket? Yes

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range? Moroccan, Chinese.

A mini hello fresh style of food would be awesome, to help introduce wider range of flavours and textures.

[drila]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try? Laska, Tom yum, vegetable koshari
   
2. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried? I was expecting proper meal and not pouches as it was also aimed at 1 year old babies. The flavours were nice but baby did not eat them as we do baby led weaning so used to proper meals
   
3. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket? Looks very similar to other pouches
   
4. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range? I would definitively buy them again in a meal format and would be nice to have more options like cous cous for example

[totorostoes]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try? Laksa, korma and vegetable sambar
   

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried? i liked the different ingredients in the meals, there were ones I wouldnt necessarily use myself. I don't eat very exciting meals so I want my son to try all sorts! He loves savory food which has a fruity taste but surprisingly loved the laksa
   

1. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket? The pouches felt good quality, although he is 15 months my son doesnt eat full pouches in one go so a cap is handy to split his meals up. I had difficulty opening one pouch but I think that was a one off as the others opened fine! The graphics are nice and clear and you can easily see whats inside the pouch
   

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range? something with a hint of fruit! such as sweet and sour

[tillytown]

1. Korma, Tom Yum, and Vegetable Koshari
   

1. He loved the korma, out of the three, it was definitely his favourite, he ate it all. The Tom Yum had a odd smell about it, but no-one else has mentioned this, so I guess it was just mine. He seemed bored of the koshari half way through, not sure why?
   

1. The packaging would definitely stand out on a supermarket shelf, and I liked how easy it was to take out and about, but I didn't like the massive plastic cap, it seems like a big waste of materials. It's great how it can be resealed but the plastic cap bothered me.
   

1. Probably not possible, but anything with paneer in would be amazing, and some soups! My son has had a lot of colds due to lockdown messing with his immunity, and soups would be perfect to give him when his throat is sore.
   

Thanks for letting us try Oliver's Cupboard. You have made a life long korma fan!

[Tink34]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try? = Korma, Laksa, Vegetable Sambar.
   

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried? = The Korma as it is a flavour we have used before.
   

1. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket? = very vibrant. Makes me feel cheerful buying it. It attracts the eye.
   

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range? = Spaghetti Bolognaise

[Glendaruel]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try?

Korma, Tom yum and koshari

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried?I

She loved the taste, couldn't get it on spoon fast enough!

1. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket?

It was nice and bright and looked like a quality product

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?

I think it was nice having dishes id not heard of such as the koshari that was Egyptian inspired. I liked being able to introduce her to spices.

[TheGirlWhoLived]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try?
   

Tom yum, salmon Bahia and vegetable koshari

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried?
   

The flavours were really interesting things that I probably wouldn’t cook on a normal week, so things we wouldn’t tend to mash up for the baby! The texture was a little soupy, I would definitely like to see a slightly more textured version

1. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket?
   

The packaging was nice enough, I don’t think it would stand out particularly- as it is called Oliver’s
Cupboard, I would assume it was associated with Ella’s Kitchen as the names to me are similar enough (child’s name, room) so a subsection of that rather than its own brand

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?
   

Some desserts, maybe lychee and coconut or more tropical fruits. savoury dishes from various countries like mild pad Thai, nasi goreng, paella, teriyaki etc

[Mumzy2020]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try? Vegetable sambar korma and sambar
2. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried? I liked to see another range that does asian food it was nice to see, it was fun to see her enjoying them (she is familiar with Asian flavours). It's a huge convenience too may I add.
3. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket? It's very bright and like the fact that it states halal as that is a must for us. Definitely stand out.
4. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?

Not really sure tbh, I don't think I would shop from Olivers in the future do to so much waste for a weaning baby. With another halal brand you can open and store in the fridge for upto two days but olivers you have to discard what's not eaten.

[Mumzy2020]

Sorry was supposed to put laksar as third flavour

[CookieBlue]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try?
   

Laksa, Tom Yum and Vegetable Koshari.

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried?
   

They definitely smelt nice! My daughter seemed to enjoy them. I am trying my hardest to make sure she has a wide variety of flavours, so for us these were great.

1. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket?
   

I thought they were bright and colourful. I think I would notice them in a supermarket yes.

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?
   

Maybe Chinese or Thai?

[WeAllLikeVindaloo]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try?
   

Tom yum, salmon Bahia, Laska

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried?
   

My child eats pretty much everything so safe to say he enjoyed these.
I loved that they were very different compared to what you find on most shelves in terms of flavours etc. much more variety for the palate.

1. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket?
   

Nice packaging, just wish we could find a solution to the plastic cap issue. However I know these are handy for out and about etc, but yes they would stand out on the shelf.

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?
   

A variety of dishes from various cuisines, to cater for different allergies and diets would be good.

[Shauna79]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try?
   

Salmon bahia
Korma
Vegetable sambar

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried?
   

He loved all the flavours, I was worried one may be a little spicy but he loved them.
They smelt flavoursome too.

1. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket?
   

Yes one of the best things about these pouches are the packaging. The different colours and shapes make them stand out.

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?
   

More from around the world eg African dishes, Thai dishes

[cheetarah]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try? Vegetable Sambar, Tom Yum, Bahia Stew
   
2. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried? The recipes sound delicious! My 10 mo just devoured a pouch of Bahia for her dinner, it actually smelt so good that I’ve just googled a recipe to make it for the family! Also great to see protein included for an older baby rather than just vegetables (which many other ready-made baby foods are).
   
3. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket? The packaging is attractive and looks very similar to Ella’s Kitchen. The matte finish looks great. Is the packaging fully recyclable though?
   
4. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range? I am pescatarian so would prefer to continue to give my baby pescatarian/vegetarian food, which was provided in the trial options I requested.

[MistyMemories]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try?

Laksa, Vegetable Sambar, Salmon Bahia

2. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried?

They are flavours that we don’t usually eat as a family so it was a really good way to introduce new tastes to my daughter without cooking a full meal only to find out she doesn’t like it.

She also seemed to prefer it cold and straight from the pouch which is really convenient for being out and about!

3. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket?

Loved the bright colours, which meant my daughter loved having it direct from the pouch.
I don’t think it would stand out on a supermarket shelf as there are already lots of other brightly coloured pouches and seems to be a saturated market.
Pouches are so convenient but absolutely terrible for the environment so I don’t buy very frequently as a rule.

4. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?

I would like to see some more basic but tasty sauces that could be mixed with rice/noodles/lentils at home to add texture. My daughter doesn’t really like the smoother foods/purées so I tried adding the Vegetable Sambar to more rice and she wolfed it down! The packaging lends itself to being very portable but I’d prefer something more eco friendly that I could add to other ingredients at home.

[MinnieAnt]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try?
   

Laksa, Sambar and Bahia.

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried?
   

I really like the concept of introducing international flavours and dishes to babies to broaden their palettes from a young age. From what I could tell, my baby seemed to enjoy eating the meals.

1. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket?
   

I like the bold colour way of each pouch. However, descriptive text on the front is too small and the logo gets a bit lost amongst the other text. Why see you not shouting louder about it being organic and the international influence? These strike me as very important to the brand and should be made much more prominent! The cartoon images are cute and appealing, however, the overall impression is a bit busy and the impact is also reduced by this. As it stands, I’m not sure I would purchase it in a supermarket.

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?
   

Ooh, perhaps dishes from Korea, Ethiopia, or Morocco?

[Lilo08]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try?
   

Vegetable koshari, salmon Bahia & Tom yum

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried?
   

I cook a lot at home and i liked that the flavours were similar to what my baby is used to

1. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket?
   

I love the packaging and the colours and definitely would stand out to me in the shops

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?
   

I would like to see more vegetarian and fish options. Other than that you’re doing great!

Thank you for selecting us to try

[SpunBodgeSquarepants]

1. Which flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard baby food did you try?
   

Laksa, bahia and veg koshari

1. What did you and your child like most about the flavours of Oliver’s Cupboard you tried?
   

My 11 month old DS wolfed them all down, was so impressed. Its so lovely to see a range of baby food pouches that isn't the usual spag bol/ chicken dinner/ beef casserole! One criticism I do have is of the bahia, there may be a little too much garlic in there as DS reeked of it for over a day after eating it..!

1. What did you think of the packaging of each pouch? Would this stand out to you on a shelf in the supermarket?
   

Very bright and bold, yes I think they would. I am however surprised that baby food pouches still have plastic caps.

1. What other flavours would you like to see in the Oliver’s Cupboard range?
   

Some Thai flavours would be brilliant.