Nikki Duffy brings the River Cottage ethos to child rearing. She shows it’s never too early for even the youngest family members to start eating with their parents and siblings. It demands time and energy to cook individual meals for every member of the family, so she offers the easy alternative of making tasty food that will appeal to young and old alike. She also devotes a section of the book to non-judgemental advice on hotly-debated topics such as breast feeding versus bottled milk, when to wean babies onto solid food, and how to ensure that your children have a balanced diet.

Start the day with breakfasts like blueberry pancakes, apple muesli or eggy bread, followed by simple and delicious meals like fishcakes, meatballs, shepherd’s pie, home-made pizza, falafel, mackerel pâté, pea risotto or roasted fish with tomato sauce. Nice little puddings include baby baked apples with chocolate, rhubarb crumble and a classic rice pudding.

With an introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, this book will put real food on the table for the whole family to share.