A competition to become an Aldi supplier is to become the subject of a new Channel 4 reality series airing later this year.
‘Grow with Aldi’ is to be a six-part series, with a winner from each hour-long episode awarded a contract to supply the discounter’s 950 UK stores.
The supermarket has been appealing for British suppliers to enter its Grow with Aldi competition since February, but today’s news is the first announcement the contest will be televised.
Aldi has renewed its call for British suppliers across categories “from bakers, condiment makers and chocolatiers, to dairy and alcohol producers and everything in between” to enter by visiting https://www.aldi.co.uk/grow-with-aldi. The deadline is 10 April.
Shortlisted entrants will be filmed as they attend Aldi’s headquarters in Atherstone to showcase their products to a judging panel. The show will see them whittled down to finalists, who will have to face a crucial home visit to prove their goods can be mass-produced.
“From entrepreneurial farmers with flair in the kitchen to tabletop businesses that are going from strength to strength, we can’t wait to see the best of British food and drink producers. To be able to offer a platform to showcase new food and drink products to the nation is incredibly exciting,” said Aldi UK buying MD Julie Ashfield.
Channel 4 factual senior commissioning editor Anna Miralis said: “This is an incredible opportunity for Britain’s food suppliers and manufacturers to think big, be creative and pitch in their ideas. I’ll be extremely excited to see them explain why their product should be awarded this potentially lucrative contract that may well have game-changing opportunities for them.”
Simon Kerfoot of production company South Shore, which has been commissioned to create the show, said: “This competition offers a chance for ambitious new British food and drink producers from all over the UK to prove that no matter how small their operation is, they have the personality and product to take their business into the big league.”
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