Barbados born Marvo Straughn from Lewisham tells us how she came up with the idea of her business of Caribbean Baby Foods.

How we started

I had a dream I was in a supermarket with my baby son Andrew who was in his buggy and he wanted me to buy some cornmeal porridge, (which is a traditional dish in the Caribbean). I looked at the shelves in the baby isle, but could not see any, then I woke up, and suddenly the idea came to me. I then told my other 2 children Roxanne and Toni that I will go to some shops to check out the varieties of baby foods, and was surprised to find there were were no Caribbean recipes available. Now my dream has become a reality.

After realising there was a demand for Caribbean baby food and no one producing it. Marvo experimented with some recipes trying them out on family and friends. She started selling them in Lewisham market where she found a great demand for the Caribbean recipes. Since then Marvo has approached local retailers, schools, nurseries and hospitals and has had a great response.

Background

Marvo’s frozen baby foods are for babies from the age of 4 months plus, (stage 1). The recipes are formulated using the finest natural ingredients, ready for baby to eat. The products have a 12 month shelf life, and there are 5 delicious recipes available. The foods are lovingly handmade and once made, the foods are blast frozen, to seal in the goodness and flavours.