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About Jess

I’ve always loved food, cooking and eating in general! In 2011 I founded a children’s cookery business and spent eight years cooking all kinds of food with kids of all ages and abilities. This experience gave me a unique perspective on how to approach food with kids.

As a working mum, like many parents I often find that my life is so hectic I don’t always have time to create healthy family meals from scratch. Discovering some leftover bolognese in the freezer is always such a bonus! So, it got me thinking about why there seemed to be so many great pre-made foods for babies and young children, but almost no quick and easy meals that are nutritionally suited to children and families.

And so, Jess Cooks was born, and with one key mission – to provide busy parents and caregivers with a healthier, more nutritious, and totally delicious alternative to the usual frozen options. Something they can have tucked away in the freezer for those evenings when they’re short on time and just need something fast and fuss-free!

Our sustainability ethos

“Ever since I had the idea for Jess Cooks, I knew one of the core values had to be operating in as environmentally sustainable way as possible.”

Our packaging

Right from day one, I wanted to be sure we were using the most sustainable packaging we could find. 

Our children’s meal trays are supplied by Southern Cross Packaging, whose innovative new type of food trays are ovenproof, freezer safe and microwaveable. Most importantly, they’re made from plastic-coated cardboard which, once rinsed, can be recycled along with all of your other cardboard and paper, just like a fruit juice carton.

Our family meal trays are made of 80% recycled plastic waste and can be reliably detected by the UK sorting infrastructure and returned to mixed stream where they can be recycled again and again. 

The cardboard sleeves are also 100% recyclable. The only thing we haven’t managed to crack yet is the plastic film, but we’re working on it! 

Your delivery

Your Jess Cooks order will arrive wrapped in a cosy liner made of sheep’s wool and kept chilly with lots of Sorbafreeze ice packs. As well as being an excellent insulator, wool is biodegradable, so pop it on your compost heap, use it as animal bedding or even in the garden as frost protection for your plants! You can also recycle the plastic liner with other carrier bags at most major supermarkets.

Sorbafreeze ice packs are filled with dry powder, so they are incredibly light when shipped by the manufacturer and have a lower carbon footprint than gel packs. When they reach us, we hydrate them in water, and the powder turns into a food-safe gel. We then freeze them down before using them to keep your order nice and cool in transit.

You can reuse them as ice packs or dispose of them with your everyday waste. The gel is created from an “FDA and EU food safe natural salt polymer which has no negative environmental issues”. Unfortunately, at present Sorbafreeze ice packs are not recyclable, but we’re hoping that will change soon.

Our ingredients

“A key value of Jess Cooks from the outset was to use the same standard of ingredients that I would use in the food I cook at home. When it comes to meat this means keeping it local, and as high welfare as I can afford.”

MEAT

Where possible, we’ve chosen to use local ingredients to cut down on the food miles. All our beef, lamb and pork mince is sourced from the butchery at Alder Carr Farm in Needham Market. All the meat supplied by Alder Carr Farm to Jess Cooks comes from farms in Suffolk or Norfolk. 

CHICKEN

All of the chicken in Jess Cooks meals is sourced from the respected family firm Hog & Hen in Stowmarket, Suffolk. All of their chickens are reared, slaughtered and processed on their farm in small batches, ensuring the best welfare standards possible for the birds. 

RAPESEED OIL

We chose to use rapeseed oil in our recipes because it has a much higher burn point than other oils, which makes it great for frying and roasting. Plus, unlike olive oil, we knew we could source it locally, which was a significant plus point. Hill Farm Oils have been pressing and bottling its delicious oils since 2004. The rape is grown on their Suffolk farm and pressed and bottled on-site in their impressive, solar-powered barns. 

Take a look at our range of delicious, nutritious meals for kids and families!

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