Channel 4’s Aldi’s Next Big Thing: Uckfield bakers compete to be stocked in supermarket

Grail Metcalf and Annabelle Akdeniz, from Uckfield beat hundreds of hopefuls to appear on the Channel 4 programme with their gluten-free brownies, and pitched alongside managing director of Belle & Wilde, Richard Harris.

The duo created Belle & Wilde three years ago after Annabelle was diagnosed as gluten intolerant. The business specialises in crafting delicious, tasty and gut-healthy, sweet and savoury bakery products. Every product is made with no preservatives, unique specially blended gluten-free and wheat-free flours and naturally fresh and locally sourced ingredients.

Annabelle said: “I was studying and I got really ill. I stopped eating gluten altogether and that made me feel a whole lot better. But I struggled to find gluten free treats that were decent and not full of preservatives, so I started making my own. I wanted to develop something that tasted good. That’s when we decided to set up the business.”

Competing against a broad range of baked treat creators, the Belle & Wilde team aim to match the taste of traditional bakery products but with the added benefit of being preservative - and gluten-free. They describe their signature brownies as: ‘chocolatey, delicious and moreish. You wouldn’t know it’s gluten free – that’s the most important thing’.

Annabelle said: “If I walked into Aldi and saw the brownie, I’d be over the moon, because I’ve worked so hard and it’s taken a lot of time and effort to develop such a good brownie. It would be an honour really to see it on shelves.”

Hosted by Anita Rani, of Countryfile and BBC Radio 4 and Chris Bavin, of Britain's Best Home Cook and Eat Well for Less? the six part series sees suppliers compete from categories such as dinners, baked goods, treats and store cupboard essentials.

Products are presented to Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK, who deliberates on factors such as price, packaging, shopper demand, and the ability to scale up, before whittling contestants down to just two.

The finalists are then given four weeks to address any feedback, before presenting improved products to Julie who decides which product will appear as a Specialbuy in 970 stores.

The multi-category competition is part of Aldi’s ongoing commitment to locally sourced products. Aldi has pledged to prioritise home-grown suppliers as it works towards spending an additional £3.5 billion a year with British businesses by the end of 2025.

Belle & Wilde will be on the show at 8pm on Channel 4 on Thursday, October 27.

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