89. Piccolo

Founder: Cat Gazzoli
Founded: January 2016
Website: www.mylittlepiccolo.com

As CEO of Slow Food UK, a global campaigning organisation for “good, clean and fair food”, Cat Gizzoli had heard from parents across the country about exactly what they wanted from a baby food brand and invested time into developing family food education programmes based around what they would like to understand about nutrition.

Fuelled by this wealth of information and organic market research, Gazzoli started baby food company Piccolo in 2016. Made with 100% natural organic ingredients and inspired by Mediterranean family recipes, the brand uses ingredients sourced from independent family farms.

The range of vegetable and fruit purees includes squash, red pepper, chickpea & apple, mango, pear & kale, and sweet potato, beetroot, apple & pear.

Piccolo found a major brand launch partner in Waitrose – a company Gazzoli says is cooperative with its ethics – and, just over a year later, has managed to secure listings in Asda, Ocado, Amazon, Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic and a number of independent retailers.

Alongside its free-from USP, the start-up is currently the only baby food brand working with the National Childbirth Trust – the UK’s largest parenting organisation – and also donates 10% of its profits to food education.

Investors have also been keen to take a bite out of Piccolo. In March this year, the business became the first recipient of funding from AllBright – the crowdfunding platform started by entrepreneurs Debbie Wosskow and Anna Jones to support outstanding female-led companies.

On the back of this recent investment, Piccolo will keep working closely with its brand partners to roll-out its food pouchesto as many parents as it can across the country; all while ensuring it continues to stick to its core values and gives back as much as possible.