Grub’s up!
Can a company selling insect-based meal kits win a contract with Aldi?
Amateur British food suppliers are pitched against each other to win the prize of supplying all of Aldi’s stores for a year in C4’s series Aldi’s Next Big Thing.
This week’s first set of producers are competing to bag a contract in the dinner-time category, which includes jarred sauces, ready meals and meal kits.
‘Six producers will pitch head-to-head but just two will be selected as finalists,’ says Anita Rani, who’s judging the innovative products alongside Julie Ashfield, Aldi’s managing director of buying, and award-winning grocer Chris Bavin. ‘Winning could change one of these producers’ businesses overnight!’
The hopefuls include
Aaron and Leo, who are hoping to take bugs mainstream with their range of edible-insect meal kits, which include nuggets and burgers made out of protein-rich crickets! But although the pair are pitch perfect in their sales promotion, is the nation really ready to invite creepy-crawlies to the dinner table?
‘Meal kits are growing in popularity as people crave a restaurant experience at home,’ says Anita. ‘But as of yet, no supermarket has gone for an insect-based kit. I must admit I’ve never tried crickets before and they’re actually tasty.
‘But will Aaron and
Leo be the first to break crickets into the aisles?’