An Arnold couple were overjoyed after winning a massive contract to supply one of the UKs biggest supermarkets. Paulette Griffiths and Colin Harrison, of Harrison and Griffiths Cakes, appeared on Channel 4's Aldi's Next Big Thing, a show which gives small-scale food producers the chance to pitch their ideas for the chance of a lifetime.
Their winning Jamaican rum cakes are on sale as from today (Friday, October 28) just hours after the show was aired. The duo wowed the judges with their Jamaican rum cake on their way to winning the show and giving them a chance to get onto Aldi shelves. Colin and Paulette were selected after a Zoom meeting and invited to pitch in front of the cameras at Aldi's headquarters in Warwickshire.
Judges said they were "blown away" after biting into the couples' delicious treat. They will now have to create a minimum of 30,000 cakes for 970 Aldi stores. Director of buying Julie Ashfield said the cake was one of the best things she'd ever taste and described it as exceptional.
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She told the winning couple: "There isn't a person I haven't met and that I haven't told about your product." Tweaks have been made to the cake to make it suitable for sale in store. Instead of the usual metal tin, the cake is sold in a box featuring a photo of the couple, to reduce the cost. It now retails for £4.99.
They batted off competition from five other bakers who presented products including vegan meringues, gluten-free brownies and cakes that resembled sushi. Paulette said: "I can't even speak and that's not like me. It's a reward for all the years of hard work we've put in."
Since 2015, when they combined their talents to create Harrison & Griffiths, they have sold online via their website and in person at food and drink festivals around the country - including one at Sandringham where they served the princess of Wales Kate Middleton and her son George in 2016. Paulette said: "She bought a slice of fruit cake and said 'we'll have that for tea tonight.' I thought we have just sold cake to the future king."
The keen bakers were introduced by a family friend and discovered they had a share passion for cakes. Colin had been baking to sell at craft shows around the East Midlands in the late 80s since there were no food and drink festivals back them, while Paulette's were enjoyed by friends and family. Together they progressed from a stall in Matlock to a food and drink festival at Clumber Park attended by thousands.
After being crowned winners on the show, Harrison said: "We feel like we're on another planet at the moment. It's crazy."
Colin and Paulette fought off stiff competition from Indian Parisian baker, Pastry Pédaleur, a dessert sushi product, gluten-free brownies and decadent doughnuts, to win the lifechanging contract. The super moist Caribbean fruit cakes showcased on the show are based on Colin’s mum’s recipe but tweaked over many years to make sure ‘once you have a slice you want another’. Aldi’s Next Big Thing airs on Channel 4, every Thursday at 8pm until November 24.
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