Aldi has launched a new television programme, Aldi's Next Big Thing, on Channel 4, where independent food and drink producers pitch their products for a chance to be stocked in the supermarket's 970 stores. The show, hosted by Anita Rani and Chris Bavin, features six suppliers per episode competing for a contract, with the winning product becoming an Aldi Specialbuy available the following morning.
In the first episode, which focused on dinnertime products, West Sussex-based Mud Foods secured the contract with its chip shop chicken curry pie. The pie contains British free-range chicken in a mild, sweet curry sauce with ginger, chilli and coriander, encased in buttery shortcrust pastry. It will be sold in Aldi stores for £3.99 from Friday.
Other contestants included Mandira Sarkar's artisan Indian ready meals, which were praised for taste but deemed too expensive. Yum Bug, co-founded by Leo Taylor and Aaron Thomas, offered insect-based meal kits, but the retailer's managing director of buying, Julie Ashfield, felt Aldi shoppers were not ready for bugs. Happy Eating House's Chinese sauces and chilli oils were also rejected due to high costs and scalability issues.
Epronto presented Italian ragu sauces with meat inside, though Ashfield noted inconsistency in taste. Jess Mackenzie's gourmet ready meals for children were considered unlikely to appeal to Aldi's customer base. The winning pie is also available on Mud Foods' website for £3.99 for a limited time, alongside other varieties such as cheese and onion, steak and ale, and gluten-free options.
