Soon it’ll be that hallowed time where harassed parents across the land yell ‘bag, coat, shoes’ at their children as they rush out the door. Oh, school run, how we’ve missed you. Instead of heading to the nearest supermarket and buying up whatever’s left over, we’re getting organised and supporting our fave local brands. Here’s what’s on our list.

Stationery

For teens (and the not-so-little among us too!), forget the boring old spiral bound books from the supermarket. We prefer the more sophisticated notebooks, planners and jotters that Whistlefish have on offer.

From £14

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Shoes

Seriously, is it possible to find a pair of shoes for your child that either aren’t so big they’re practically wearing flippers, or pinching their toes as they walk out the store? And let’s not even start on all the blisters from wearing them in. We’ll be eschewing ‘whatever’s left in Sainsbury’s’ this year and hotfooting it (see what we did there) to Shoes for the Soul in Bodmin. This lovely family-owned indy is the largest stockist of children’s shoes in Cornwall.

POA

Shoes for the Soul

Bags

Drag them away from *that* fluffy Smiggle backpack and instead go for something a bit more understated, not to mention sustainable. Handmade by Rooted Ocean in Bude, North Cornwall, The Strand takes its style from the inspiration around the cliffs and the beaches and while it’s an investment it also comes with their Lifetime Repair Offer. At 25 L it has enough space for a whole load of books. Comes in a range of colours, made of waterproofed cotton.

£95

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Lunchbox

Treat your little explorer and avoid single use plastics with this Eden Project Mediterranean Biome inspired sandwich wrap design by St Ives based Poppy Treffry. You can use it on its own or pop it in a lunchbox – then just wash and re-use.

£12.95

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Waterproof Coat

Got little ones? Oooh, they’ll catch their death! Swaddle ’em up in these fab all in one waterpoof suit from Cornwall’s own children’s brand, Frugi. It has an inner layer of comfy wadding and a fleece lining in the hood, body and legs for extra snuggliness. Made from post consumer recycled polyester – that’s recycled plastic bottles, how clever is that!? Bonus, matching items available.

£55-59

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Water bottle

We love Finisterre’s Nalgene water bottles – part of their single use is no use campaign, and this one is a more kid-friendly 500ml. Apparently these were originally designed as lab equipment but quickly became popular with hikers and adventurers due to their lightweight and durable design. The tough Tritan plastic is BPA, BPS and phthalate free – and in bright colours, hopefully hard to lose too.

£15-20

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Back to school? Our Cornish picks

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