A Lismore businesswoman is hoping to win a dream contract to have her sauces for grown-ups stocked by one of the country’s biggest supermarket chains.
Lismore’s Mairi MacFadyen appears tonight on Channel 4’s ’Aldi’s Next Big Thing’.
Viewers who tune in tonight will see the founder of Slainte, a boozy dessert and savoury sauce company for adults, compete with other suppliers to make it onto the chain’s shelves.
Hosted by Anita Rani, of Countryfile and BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, and Chris Bavin, of BBC’s The One Show and Eat Well for Less, the six-part show will air every Tuesday at 8pm until May 7.
Products are presented to Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK, who deliberates on factors including packaging, shopper demand and the ability to scale up, before shortlisting contestants down to a final two.
Translating to ‘cheers’ in Scottish Gaelic, Slainte, pronounced ‘Slan-cha’, is Mairi’s pride and joy and she is determined to win a spot on Aldi’s shelves.
She said: "There are no words to describe how big this is for me. I keep pinching myself and asking is this real. I really want a big contract and I can actually see my sauces in Aldi. I can picture myself going in there and taking photos of them. It would really change my life."
The multi-category competition is part of Aldi’s ongoing commitment to support British suppliers. Last year, the firm spent an additional £1.3 billion with British suppliers and growers, who provide more than three quarters of all items sold in its stores.
The show’s finalists are given four weeks to address any feedback, with a follow-up home visit from Anita or Chris who will report back their findings to Julie. The three then taste test the improved products, before Julie decides the winner, which will appear as a Specialbuy in more than 1,000 stores.
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