We talk stylish, sustainable tableware, juggling parenthood and fashion with OBK Feeding Little Mouths

Your products are so trendy… as well as being made from materials with 100% no nasties and are entirely sustainable. Lizzi, tell us your story.

Ah, thank you so much! I am originally a Fashion Designer so always got my eye out for stylish and trendy products. I moved to America straight out of university which was just the most amazing experience to start my career in fashion. I eventually ended up back in London and years later had my son which essentially lead me to start OBK!

What was the initial inspiration to start your own business?

Whilst on Maternity Leave I found that I was buying everything for my son online and really struggled to find nice tableware for him. It seemed to be all the cheap sets you find in supermarkets and it just wasn’t good quality, and it was also plastic! After one meal they stain and go cloudy which I didn’t like and thought it mustn’t help make meals very appetising for my son. This is what lead me to start O.B.K. I have loved working on a side brand whilst I am also still a Fashion Designer. I wanted to create a stylish brand that people would love to have out in their houses. It’s as much for the parent as the child!

Where can we purchase your gorgeous products?

You can purchase all our lovely bits on our website and if you live in Henley or nearby, we are stocked at the amazing We Are The Children shop alongside other amazing children’s brands. 

We love your content. Do you feel that social media has had a crucially positive impact on your journey?

Yes, I feel like Instagram has a huge impact on my journey! I am still learning so much about Instagram and the ways it works, I feel like it changes weekly! My biggest impact on Social Media is when people share my products – that always sees a good footfall along with sales. 

Your no-spill snack pot is a life saver for parents. What made you focus on these designs, with silicone as the material of choice?

Silicone is a fabulous material for tableware because it’s non-toxic, you can use it to heat food up as well as using in the dishwasher which let’s be honest is an absolute lifesaver when you’re a parent! It is also stain-free and has a super soft feel to it making it nice for little ones to hold/chew on and won’t damage!

Not only that, but silicone is far more eco-friendly than plastics and has a lifetime guarantee meaning you won’t need to be replacing them like you would plastics. I love our snack pots! They are honestly such a game-changer when you’re out and about and snacks are needed. I love keeping little toys such as Duplo/Lego in there and dummies, they are so versatile! 

Being featured in British Vogue is a huge business win, congratulations. What’s next for OBK Feeding Little Mouths?

Ah, thank you so much! I was so excited to be featured there! I am working away in the background trying to build my brand around a more snack-focused approach… I can’t say much more but I will be trying to bring my fashion design influences to new product areas which I am very excited about.. so watch this space! 

The children’s fashion, nursery, and accessories market is growing year on year, how do you stay unique and stand out from the other retailers?

For me, it almost relates back to your question on Social Media! That is where you can really make yourself unique from other brands as no two people have the same creative mind.

Do you have any other brands that you simply love and find complement OBK Feeding Little Mouths? Or small businesses bosses out there you support?

There are so many amazing small businesses out there but the one that stands out for me and compliments our brand is Delilah’s Dishes – the most amazing tasty dishes for little ones, homemade and delivered to your door! 

We have done a pop-up together which has been so nice working with a brand where you can support each other like that.

As an entrepreneur with a parent demographic in mind, how do you find the best work/life balance?

I am still trying to figure this one out! My week is bonkers! I have a 2-year-old, working 4 days a week and working on OBK on the side! But I love being busy and seeing all the little ones using our products it makes it all so worth it. 

Finally, what advice would you give your 20-year-old self now?

I would say don’t be scared to try something new and do something that’s against the norm!