25 Mar STORMZY’S PERSONAL CHEF PITCHES HIS FAVOURITE DINNER TO ALDI BOSS
Supermarket Aldi will consider selling a ‘Stormzy approved’ Short Rib Mac & Cheese in the new series of Aldi’s Next Big Thing.
The six-part prime time show, which kicks off again on Tuesday 2nd April with the ‘dinner’ episode, sees artisan suppliers pitch to win a ‘life-changing’ contract and have their product land on shelves in over 1,000 Aldi stores nationwide.
Viewers will see chef to the stars, ‘Chef Vickz’ pitch client Stormzy’s favourite Short Rib Mac & Cheese to Managing Director of Buying at Aldi UK, Julie Ashfield.
Chef Vickz, from South-East London, has been a personal chef to Stormzy, amongst other clients, for six years, since qualifying in Patisserie and Confectionary at the University of West London.
She says: “Stormzy was looking for a chef and I got put forward, that’s how it all started. This Mac & Cheese is his favourite dish. It’s special as it’s made with short rib, which has been slow roasted for a very long time.
“It would be the opportunity of a lifetime to have my product in Aldi. I want to be able to cook for thousands. When I see people enjoying my food it fills me with a joy that I can’t even put into words.”
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Multi award-winning rapper and singer-songwriter Stormzy sends his well wishes to the chef via a cameo on the show: “Vick we’re routing for you, we love you, you’re the best. Hurry up and get back…I’m hungry!”
The Short Rib Mac & Cheese dish is an evolution of one of Stormzy’s favourite sandwiches. Around a year ago the chef, who also runs private supper clubs, decided to play around with its ingredients.
Chef Vickz says: “I love to be creative in the kitchen. I’m always thinking of ways to add exciting twists on classic dishes. It made sense to add the Short Rib that I used to make sandwiches with, to my classic Mac & Cheese. The flavours are complementary without being overpowering. It’s a dish I’m really proud of.”
Along with hosts, broadcaster and author, Anita Rani and Chris Bavin, of BBC’s The One Show and Eat Well for Less, Aldi boss Julie deliberates on taste, affordability and scalability before deciding if the celebrity-approved dish will make it into the final two.
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Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi UK, says: “I’m always looking for quality, but if I can also land something that will surprise our shoppers and keep them coming back for more, that’s the absolute dream.
“Chef Vickz’s Short Rib Mac & Cheese is absolutely delicious. I’m not surprised it’s a hit with Stormzy – he’s got good taste!”
Chef Vickz will be pitching her dinner time treat against other creations including Halal Wagyu Pastrami, Rainbow Burgers, Vegan Toad in the Hole and Crab Cakes.
Julie deliberates on factors such as price, packaging, customer demand, and the ability to scale up, as she whittles six products down to two. Finalists then have four weeks to work on Julie’s feedback, before returning to Aldi with their new and improved products, to learn who has won the biggest contract of their lives.
The winning product will then appear as a Specialbuy in over 1,000 Aldi stores nationwide on Wednesday 3rd April.
