Aldi’s Next Big Thing is coming back to Channel 4 for a brand new series, starting on TV on Tuesday, 2 April at 8PM.
The show sees small food and drink suppliers bid for the game-changing opportunity to stock their products in Aldi stores across the UK.
Anita Rani and Chris Bavin will be back to present, meeting a host of creative and ambitious British suppliers looking to pitch to Aldi’s Managing Director of Buying Julie Ashfield.
Each week Julie has the final say on which product makes the cut, with the winning item appearing on Aldi shelves.
Meet the contestants
Here’s a run down of who’s set to appear on the new series, which opens with an episode focused on dinner favourites.
Halal Wagyu Pastrami – Wolverhampton
Brothers and third generation butchers, Adnaan and Manny are hoping their halal take on wagyu pastrami will make it onto the shelves of Aldi. Inspired by the British classics they saw on TV growing up, but couldn’t eat as they weren’t halal, the brothers chose to specialise in cured meat alternatives such as beef bacon, halal wagyu pastrami and lamb ham.
Short Rib Mac N Cheese – South East London
Chef Vickz has been a personal chef to Stormzy for six years, since qualifying in Patisserie and Confectionary at the University of West London. She says: “Stormzy was looking for a chef and I got put forward, that’s how it all started… This Mac & Cheese is his favourite dish.”
Rainbow Burgers – East Sussex
Leo of Leonati Catering is hoping his colourful burgers will catch the judge’s eyes. Leo prides himself on working with local suppliers and ensuring his beef is grass fed and organically reared, just as nature intended.
Vegan Toad in the Hole – Manchester
Tired of missing out on their favourite part of a roast dinner – the Yorkshire pudding – vegan couple, Lauren and Sophie set up Mabel’s kitchen, offering egg and dairy-free takes on British dinner-time classics.
Pasta Bombs – Cumbria
Ex-restaurant chef, Lee, is hoping his ingenious Pasta Bombs, which use off cuts of ground charcuterie, intended to add a hint of ‘umami’ to dishes, will wow the judges.
Crabulous Crabcakes – Southampton
Hayley or ‘The Codmother’ as she’s affectionally known, is hoping to win the judges hearts hook, line and sinker, with her zero-waste, Great Taste award-winning crabcakes. Hayley got the idea to create her sustainable fish and crabcake business, after working with a group of fishermen, helping them to sell their surplus brown crab meat.
Apply for the show
If you’d like your product to be considered for any future series of Aldi’s Next Big Thing then you can register your interest here.
Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi UK, said: “I’m always looking for quality, but if I can also land something that will surprise our shoppers and keep them coming back for more, that’s the absolute dream.”
Anita Rani added: “For these small food and drink businesses, winning a contract with Aldi is a potentially life changing opportunity. Seeing products go from a prototype to supermarket shelves, in just a few months and finding out the stories behind them, has been a really special experience. I’m excited to see viewers’ reactions – I’m sure everyone will love the winning products just as much as we do.”
Chris Bavin, commented: “As an ex-greengrocer, I know only too well the ups and downs of running your own business. It’s inspiring seeing such an incredible mix of homegrown food and drink suppliers and heartening to know they’re getting the recognition they deserve, by one of the UK’s largest retailers. I can’t wait for viewers to discover the winning products for themselves!”
The first series is available to watch online now on Channel4.com here
More on: Channel 4
