Nottingham Bakers Compete for Spot On Aldi's Shelves In Channel 4 Series

• Anja Hammond, (36) and Olly Martin, (33) of Snackcidents, beat hundreds of hopefuls to appear on the programme with their Edible Cookie Dough

• Six-part series sees food and drink suppliers compete to be listed in over 1,000 Aldi stores nationwide

• Aldi's Next Big Thing, the ‘Bakery' episode will air on Channel 4 on Tuesday 9^th April at 8pm

Couple Anja Hammond, (36) and Olly Martin, (33) from Nottingham, will appear on Channel 4's ‘Aldi's Next Big Thing' on Tuesday 9^th April, 8pm.

The pair founded Snackcidents in 2017, a bakery providing edible cookie dough that's designed to be eaten straight from the tub. The business was inspired by the couple's childhood baking memories and Willy Wonka obsession. Anja and Olly were picked from hundreds of applicants competing for a life changing contract to stock Aldi stores nationwide.

With no eggs or raw flour, the couple's Edible Cookie Dough range is safe to eat straight from the tub but can also be heated or baked in the oven. Each pot contains luxury, sustainable ingredients, and comes in 100% recyclable packaging with carbon neutral delivery. Flavours include Gooey Choc Chip, Triple Choc Fudge, Vanilla, Funfetti, Red Velvet and new limited-edition flavours; Brownie Batter, Cookies & Cream, Cherry Bakewell and Millionaire's Shortbread.

Hosted by broadcaster and author, Anita Rani and Chris Bavin, of BBC's The One Show and Eat Well for Less, the six-part series sees suppliers compete in a range of categories including dinners and baked goods, as well as exciting new category additions: party, world, and confectionery.

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 shortlisting contestants down to just two.

The finalists are then 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 over 1,000 stores.

Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi UK, says:

"We eat with our eyes, especially in bakery. If it doesn't look fresh and appealing it won't sell. Aldi customers love to try something a little bit different, whether that be dessert flavoured doughnuts or French style treats. We're looking for innovation, and products that our shoppers are going to love."

Anja says:

"We decided to take up baking as a form of escapism from our jobs and everyday lives. We spent months developing a cookie we could be proud of, pushing ourselves to create exciting, unusual flavours that couldn't be found elsewhere."

Olly says:

"We were basically making cookies and found that we were eating the raw dough before it made it into the oven. You can also bake it into cookies or you can create a hot cookie dough dessert parlour style product."

The multi-category competition is part of Aldi's ongoing commitment to support British suppliers. Last year, Aldi spent an additional £1.3 billion with British suppliers and growers, and they provide more than three quarters of all items sold in its stores.

The supermarket has also introduced a ‘Best of British' section to its website, which includes a wide selection of groceries from meat to dairy products and everyday essentials, in a bid to help shoppers support British businesses.

To find out if Anja and Olly's Edible Cookie Dough has made it on to Aldi's shelves, watch Aldi's Next Big Thing on Channel 4 on 9^th April. The series will air every Tuesday at 8pm until 7^th May.