Aldi’s Next Big Thing: Where to buy Mud chip shop chicken curry pie, Yum Bug, Mandira’s Kitchen and more
From ready-meal curries to insect-based meal kits, these are all the brands featured in the first episode of the new Channel 4 show
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Aldi’s on a mission to find the best independent food and drink producers in the UK, good enough to sit on the shelves of its 970 supermarket stores. Appraising new products is something the company usually does in private, but for the next six weeks, Aldi’s letting the public come along.
In a new Channel 4 show called Aldi’s Next Big Thing, each instalment sees six British suppliers pitch their products to the budget supermarket chain, with one producer winning a coveted contract each episode.
The new business-focused show’s first episode, which aimed to find the best food producer in the dinnertime category, felt like a bit of a mash-up between MasterChef and a less vicious version of Dragons’ Den, but it scratched that reality-show itch we’ve had since the latter finished airing in April.
But unlike the long-lasting BBC programme, the winning product at the end of each episode of Aldi’s Next Big Thing will be stocked immediately as an Aldi Specialbuy, so you’ll be able to go out and buy it the following morning.
The show, hosted by Countryfile’s Anita Rani and Britain’s Best Home Cook and Eat Well for Less’s Chris Bavin, saw the pair, along with Aldi’s managing director of buying Julie Ashfield taste insect meal kits, curries, gourmet ready meals for children, authentic Chinese sauces and Mud Food’s chip shop chicken curry pie. We’ve rounded up all the Next Big Thing products from the first episode, and where you can buy them. Spoilers ahead!
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Mud Foods chip shop chicken curry pie: £3.99, Aldi.co.uk – available in-stores nationwide
West Sussex-based Christian Barrington’s Mud Foods won the coveted contract for Aldi’s shelf space, seeing the entrepreneur’s chip shop chicken curry pie enter its stores. Each pie contains British free-range chicken in a mild, sweet curry sauce, infused with fresh ginger, chilli and coriander. All coated in a buttery shortcrust pastry.
You’ll be able to buy it in-store on Friday for £3.99, but you can also buy it from Mud Foods’ website itself, who has reduced the pie to the same price as Aldi for a limited time (was £4.45, now £3.99, Mudfoods.com). Mud Foods also sells pie classics, including cheese and onion pies, steak and ale and gluten-free versions of its chip shop chicken curry pies. Plus, the brand sells square quiches (squiches) and fruit pies.
Mandira’s Kitchen: Mandiraskitchen.com
While Mandira Sarkar got close to winning Aldi’s contract, it wasn’t to be for the entrepreneur’s freezer ready-meals brand, which cooks up artisan Indian meals. While Ashfield praised the taste, Mandira’s meals might just have been a little too expensive for the retailer.
The brand sells a huge number of ready meals – from chicken xicuti and palak dahl to mutton curry, lamb samosas and more.
Yum Bug: Yumbug.com
Co-founded by Leo Taylor and Aaron Thomas, Yum Bug was probably the most intriguing brand on the show tonight. The brand produces insect-based meal kits and appeared to be more delicious than it sounded. Despite the nutritious appeal, Ashfield didn’t think Aldi shoppers were quite ready to embrace bugs just yet, though she seemed to enjoy the taste.
Yum Bug sells mince made from house crickets (£8, Yumbug.com), roasted crickets (£4.50, Yumbug.com), a sticky teriyaki stir fry meal kit (£4.50, Yumbug.com) and a smoky barbecue taco meal kit (£4.50, Yumbug.com).
Happy Eating House: Happyeatinghouse.co.uk
The trio loved the taste of founder Danni’s sauces and chilli oils when she pitched Happy Eating House to Aldi’s managing director of buying. The real sticking point was the high price tag and potential inability to scale, seeing the entrepreneur let go before the selection of the final two.
Happy Eating House makes artisan Chinese cooking sauces and condiments using 100 per cent natural ingredients, and they are all vegan and gluten-free. The brand sells chilli oils, including chiu chow chilli oil (£6, Happyeatinghouse.co.uk) and Sichuan chilli oil (£6, Happyeatinghouse.co.uk) as well as black bean sauce (£5.50, Happyeatinghouse.co.uk) and hoisin sauce (£5.50, Happyeatinghouse.co.uk).
Epronto Italian sauces with meat: Epronto.co.uk
Epronto makes authentic Italian ragu sauces. What’s special about Epronto is that each sauce comes with meat inside. Sounds tasty but Ashfield thought some sauces tasted better than others.
The brand sells bolognese ragu (£5.95, Epronto.co.uk), lamb ragu (£5.95, Epronto.co.uk) and venison ragu (£5.95, Epronto.co.uk), as well as meatballs and tomato sauce and a mediterranean sauce.
Jess Cooks gourmet children’s ready meals: Jesscooks.co.uk
Jess Mackenzie had an interesting proposition that Ashfield sadly didn’t think would catch on amongst Aldi’s shoppers – gourmet ready meals aimed at children. Mackenzie’s company makes meals for toddlers to tweens.
Each meal contains two of your five a day, takes minutes to prepare from frozen, is low in salt and sugar and comes in recyclable packaging. Jess Cooks sells everything from beef bolognese and mild chicken tikka curry to pork ragu and veggie shepherd’s pie. Each meal costs £3.99.
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