Pure Spoon is the first-to-market, cool temperature, high-pressure pasteurized, organic baby food and purees developed right here in Austin. Founded by Alyson Eberle, Pure Spoon is dedicated to the development of delicious, healthy baby food that delivers more flavor and nutritional value than traditional heat-pasteurization. Alyson was disappointed by the baby food she found at the grocery store when looking to feed her six-month-old baby.
Alyson’s research revealed most baby food is made from premade, processed bases and cooked in individual ready-to-eat containers, including plastic bags and pouches. Wanting to give her daughter healthy, fresh baby food she made her own homemade baby food from raw, fresh organic produce. Soon, she had requests from friends and family for her baby food and recipes which is how Pure Spoon was created under what they call the “Pure Approach” TM. Based on Alyson’s original “Pure Approach” TM Pure Spoon’s baby food and purees are made from 100% raw, certified organic produce. www.PureSpoon.com
We recently sat down with Alyson Eberle to learn more about Pure Spoon and the development of her successful products.
AFM: After you took the challenge of creating your own healthy baby food and purees, how long did it take you to get a recipe that you felt comfortable serving your little one?
Alyson: The development process took a significant amount of time because we were trying to perfectly balance taste, safety and nutrition. To assist us, we hired a licensed pediatric dietitian who was able to offer advice on the recipe development.
AFM: What made you think to go against the grain by using an alternate method than that of many large baby food corporations?
Alyson: This answer is very simple- the “main stream” options (even the ones that are organic) did not meet our criteria in terms of nutrition and taste. The shelf-stable choices available are geared for convenience not quality and nutrition. I wanted to change that. I want to feed children real nutrition, not just fill them up with calories. With our custom-made containers and the HPP process, I was able to do just that.
AFM: Are you looking to branch out into any additional baby food endeavours?
Alyson: Pure Spoon is branching out and we continue to develop additional recipes, not just as baby food, but also into organic and healthy purees for all ages. Because of our product’s high nutritional value and taste, it makes for a great snack (or meal) for everyone. This trend is seen week over week at the various retailers we are currently carried across the nation.
AFM: Why do you feel Austin is a good market for your product? Where can consumers buy it?
Alyson: Austinites tend to be healthy foodies and want the best for themselves and their kids. In addition, they tend to be open to new ideas and trying new things which is great for innovative products like Pure Spoon.
Locally, Pure Spoon is available in the dairy section of Whole Foods. The support for Pure Spoon had been huge. In just over a year, we have gone from eighteen Whole Foods Market stores to major retailers like Target, ShopRite, MOMs Organics, and Wegmans across the country. We will be launching in other national retailers HyVee and Sprouts, for example, in the next 60 days. We will also be launching our front door delivery option via our website within the next 45 days.
AFM: How did you decide on the flavor combinations for your foods?
Alyson: It was a blend (no pun intended) of taste, freshness and nutrition. For example, avocados are incredibly healthy and wonderful for a child’s development and we wanted to be on the cutting edge of using the super fruit in our recipes. Children, especially babies, need fat for development and good fat is lacking in many foods that is offered to that age group. I wanted to change that and so much more. I wanted to give all parents what I couldn’t find on the shelves of the grocery store but so desperately wanted to see there. The basis of most recipes came directly from my kitchen when I was making food for my daughter.