Farmer and TV presenter Jimmy Doherty has joined the judging panel for the latest series of Aldi: The Next Big Seller, and he is bringing a unique perspective shaped by his own farming background, his PhD in insects, and the everyday appetites of his two dogs, Birdie and Whiskey.
Birdie, an Irish setter, and Whiskey, an Irish terrier, belong to Doherty. He jokes that they would not be discerning judges. "If Birdie or Whiskey were judging these products, everyone would win," he says. "They'd just wolf everything down and say, 'Yeah, that's lovely.'"
Their indiscriminate tastes are a household reality. "They'll eat anything," Doherty explains. "We have to have pretty high work surfaces in our kitchen."
Judging the pitches
On the show, Doherty sits alongside co-judge Anita Rani and Aldi's chief commercial officer, Julie Ashfield. The programme, airing on Channel 4 on Thursdays, aims to select the best new food and drink products for Aldi's shelves, with a big-money deal for the winning producers.
Episode one features some unusual entries, including chocolates from a company called the Edible Museum. "Yes, this lady has a company she calls the Edible Museum," Doherty says. "She makes these amazing chocolates that look like museum specimens - fossils and insects, and gastropods like snails and slugs and leeches. I was flabbergasted."
His scientific background informs his reaction. "Trouble is with these, they're so beautifully made you almost don't want to eat them."
Understanding supermarket supply
Doherty brings practical knowledge of the food industry to his role. "When you supply supermarkets, some people assume you're just packaging a product and off it goes," he notes. "But there are so many rules and regulations. And so many things to do, to fulfil what the customer needs."
He empathises with the contestants pitching their products. "I do empathise," he insists. "But you've also got to be straight with people. If their product isn't right, it isn't right."
The panel also probes producers on their supply chains and business pinch points. Doherty recalls some memorable pitches: "We had one guy who did a rap... That, and even a magic trick."
Lessons from his own experience
Doherty learned the importance of appealing to customers through his own mistakes. "When I first opened my farm shop, I made the mistake of filling it with products I'd buy myself," he admits. One example was a sausage called the Ipswich Super Blue, made with garlic and Stilton and named after Ipswich Town FC.
His shopping habits are methodical. "When I'm shopping in the UK, I'm very pragmatic. If I've got an event on, I'll have a specific shopping list. I also make sure I never shop when I'm hungry." Abroad, he enjoys exploring supermarkets to learn from what is sold there.
At home, he keeps things efficient. "I do 15-minute Jimmy meals!" he says, adding that he avoids waste: "Even if I'm boiling carrots, I'll use the water for gravy, add it to a stock I've made from last week's carcass. Anything left over might go into dinner for tomorrow. A nice risotto, perhaps."
Whatever is not suitable for the table goes to the dogs. Aldi: The Next Big Seller returns on November 5 at 8pm on Channel 4.
