A family-run wholesale bakery in Peckham, which specialises in Jamaican patties, has landed a listing with Aldi.
Flake Bake’s Jamaican beef patties, made with a flaky pastry crust and spicy ground beef filling, are available in 1,000 Aldi stores now with a price of 99p.
The business, run by father and son duo Paul and Mike Williams, competed in the latest series of the Channel 4 series Aldi’s Next Big Thing in which they went up against five other bakery suppliers to win the listing. During the competition the firms present to Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK, who decides on a winner which will appear as a ‘Specialbuy’ in over 1,000 stores.
Swansea-based Bowla, which produces bowler-hat shaped bowls with rolls, was among the other businesses vying for the listing as part of the episode. Other competitors included Breeosh which makes gourmet filled savoury brioche buns, edible cookie dough firm Snackcidents, Scottish pie maker WeeCook Kitchen, and artisan business Wildcraft Bakery which presented an allergen free gooseberry & elderflower whoopie pie.
Ashfield was blown away with the taste and flakiness of the pastry presented by Flake Bake, but with no packaging, a production line falling short of the minimum order required and a shelf life of just five days, the father and son duo needed to scale up production and make changes to the recipe, without changing the flavour of the patty, to win the order.
The pair got to work enlisting the help of a food scientist who suggested the addition of garlic, a natural flavour enhancer that preserves the life of food with its powerful antioxidant properties. Having successfully doubled the shelf life, the pair then sought the help of a graphic designer to create a shelf-ready and eye-catching packaging.
They also engaged an independent supplier to upscale production in order to meet the minimum order of 25,000 units.
Co-owner Mike Williams said winning felt like a “lifetime achievement”. “We have an incredible team, they’ve been making patties for a long time, some of them before I was born, so they really know what they’re doing. We’ve worked so hard for the last 10 years and this feels like the ultimate dream,” he said.
Aldi’s Ashfield added: “You can’t help but fall in love with Paul and Mike, and their product tastes beautiful. It’s clear how much care goes into making the product. The pastry is unbelievable, every part of it is delicious – I just love it.”
The multi-category competition, which also includes episodes on party food, confectionery, and more, 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 discounter said.
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