A couple won a life-changing contract to stock more than 970 stores nationwide on last night’s Channel 4 show Aldi’s Next Big Thing. Colin Harrison and Paulette Griffiths' rum cake was described as ‘the best product I’ve eaten in the history of products I’ve eaten’ by Aldi's managing director of buying, Julie Ashfield.
The cake is based on Colin’s mum’s recipe but tweaked over many years to make sure ‘once you have a slice you want another.’ On the Harrison & Griffiths' website, the rum cake is described as 'the elite of all rum cakes which has to be treated with respect'.
The cakes are made with a white rum from Wray & Nephew, a company steeped in tradition that has been part of Jamaican culture for more than 200 years. The cake is said to 'pack a punch' and tastes of subtle tropical spices, which is perfect for the upcoming festive season.
The Channel 4 series saw food and drink suppliers compete for a space on Aldi’s shelves. Partners Colin and Paulette Griffiths beat hundreds of other hopefuls to land the contract of a lifetime.
In the show hosted by Anita Rani, of Countryfile, and BBC Radio 4 and Chris Bavin, of Britain's Best Home Cook and Eat Well for Less, suppliers showcased their homemade products in the hope of taking their food to a wider audience. From dinner and fresh, chilled and deli products, to store cupboard essentials and delicious treats, each episode focuses on a different category.
Colin and Paulette, from Nottingham, saw off competition from Indian Parisian baker, Pastry Pédaleur, a dessert sushi product, gluten-free brownies and decadent doughnuts, to win the contract. The duo who have a combined total of 25 years’ baking experience between them, have been making rum cakes together since 2016.
Colin and Paulette had to overcome a number of hurdles to make their rum cake viable for the supermarket’s 970 stores. Having previously made everything in-house, the couple worked with an Aldi supplier to scale up production from around 250 cakes a week to fulfil the life-changing order of 30,000 cakes.
The award winning product hits shelves Friday, October 28. You can buy the cake by clicking here.
