Our story
Hi, I’m Kirsty.
I decided to create my own range of baby products and accessories in 2020.
I was pregnant, looking after a toddler through lockdown whilst miserable in my job and frustrated by a lack of high-quality, hand-made baby toys and accessories I could also trust to be safe.
Everything seemed to be made with plastic, or to be disposable. Even muslins were coated in a plastic spray to make them ‘stain resistant’. Half of every ‘organic baby’ site had products that I just wasn’t sure about.
I wanted to give my babies safe, luxury baby clothes, toys and homeware that also looked great. A chat with friends and family revealed others desperately wanted the same.
And so, Barney and Bella (named after my two Cavachon’s – my first two babies) was born. Inspired by my own children’s favourite characters, colours and textures, designed in-house and manufactured with love.
ABOUT OUR RANGE
Developing CE certified baby products that are safe, affordable, and pretty is not easy. We’ve had to work hard, repeatedly rejecting products that were expensive to develop on the grounds of quality control.
CE and UKCA testing are vital to ensure your baby’s safety isn’t compromised by loose bits that can be swallowed, weak bits that can cause injury or the size and length of parts to ensure they are not a choking hazard. To pass, you go through hundreds of tests, checking mechanical, functional and chemical safety.
Many handmade toys in the UK are NOT tested; always make sure you can see a CE or UKCA mark before you buy! It’s hard work, but when it comes to the safety of our children it’s not something I was willing to compromise on!
My mantra is if I wouldn’t give it to my own baby, who you can often see in our literature and on Instagram, I wouldn’t want you to give it to yours.
The-end-result is a growing capsule collection including unique prints, 95% cotton rompers, beautiful, oversized swaddle blankets and muslins and soft toys in our own bespoke characters.
ABOUT OUR CHARACTERS
Our loveable, handmade characters.
Age: 3 years and 1 month
Our very own roar-some lion and Barney and Bella’s best friend. He has an adventurous heart, is always looking to get into mischief and likes to have fun.
Louie loves eating chips, visiting the park and chasing pigeons. He’s the perfect choice for your little adventurer because he is not afraid of anything!
Age: 4 years, 3 months and 6 days
Barney is our creative bear. He spends his days looking for ways to invent brilliant new things. His latest is a magic sweetie maker that turns one lollipop into 6!
Barney has a big heart, but he doesn’t like the dark, so he needs lots of cuddles at night, so he isn’t lonely! His favourite food is waffles, and he’s looking for a friend to help him feel safe and share his amazing plans.
Age: 4 years, 3 months and 6 days (and three minutes – vitally important you know!).
Bella is everyone’s best friend. She’s the sweetest dreamer, who loves to create stories in her head and share them with all her besties.
She’s kind-hearted and never lets anyone be lonely, so if you’re looking for a friend to hold your hand and never let you down, Bella is your bunny.
COLLECT THEM ALL – get all your besties together, for tea parties, afternoons in the park and midnight sleepovers. The perfect gift for your little animal x
OUR QUALITY PROMISE
We want our customers to be delighted with every stage of the Barney & Bella experience – from seeing our socials, to browsing our website, buying and beyond.
If at any stage we don’t meet your expectations, contact us at info@barneyandbella.com
AFFILIATES
We regularly work with hand-selected affiliates to support our network. If you’d like to apply to be one, please contact us at info@barneyandbella.com
PR and MEDIA REQUESTS
If you’d like to feature our products, or speak to our founder Kirsty, please get in touch at info@barneyandbella.com and we’ll be happy to help.
STOCKISTS
We’re keen to engage with stockists offering the same quality, care and attention we do. Please get in touch today at info@barneyandbella.com to see if we may be a good fit.