Channel 4 has announced a second series of Aldi’s Next Big Thing.
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 the very next day after broadcast.
The first series saw products pitched including edible bugs, camel milk, Yorkshire pudding beer and rum.
For series two, Aldi is calling on suppliers of all shapes and sizes to get involved. You can apply now via Aldi.co.uk. The closing date for applications is 12 June 2023.
Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi UK, said: “The response to the first series of Aldi’s Next Big Thing was overwhelming. We’ve had such positive feedback on showing shoppers behind the scenes, from tasting and developing products, to seeing them land on shelves. We are 100% committed to supporting British businesses and thanks to Aldi’s Next Big Thing, the British public can be a part of that too. I can’t wait to see what lands on our plates this series.”
Executive Producer James Hedge, added: “After the success of last year’s series we’re excited to welcome a new batch of fantastic UK food and drink suppliers, with more delicious and innovative products. The chance to pitch directly to Aldi’s Managing Director of Buying, Julie Ashfield and gain her unique insight is a real privilege, and we can’t wait to hear more of her supermarket secrets.”
Simon Cheuk Pong Lee, commissioning executive at Channel 4, commented: “Aldi’s Next Big Thing really captured the imagination of viewers. We’re excited to see it return with more fascinating stories of small, often homegrown food and drink producers given the chance of a lifetime to have a presence on shelves up and down the country.”
A start date for the second series is to be announced.
The firs series is available to watch online now on Channel4.com here