The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?
Aldi’s Next Big Thing: Where to buy halloumi rolls, wine spritzers, bao buns and more
Channel 4’s take on Dragons’ Den is back for another juicy episode
Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for insider tips and product reviews from our shopping experts
Sign up for our free IndyBest email
If there’s one thing we’ve learned after last week’s episode of Aldi’s Next Big Thing, it’s that Brits have a serious affection for pasties. Within 48 hours of Flake Bake’s Jamaican beef patties hitting the supermarket’s shelves, customers had gobbled up every single one.
But will Brits show the same enthusiasm for party food and drinks as they do patties? In tonight’s episode of Aldi’s Next Big Thing, Channel 4’s take on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den and Masterchef, six new British independent food suppliers are pinning their hopes on it.
Those hoping to impress Julie Ashfield, Aldi’s head of buying, include a low-alcohol wine in a can, halloumi rolls, boozy sauces, a vegan charcuterie board, a black pudding jam and Filipino bao buns.
Armed with support from Countryfile’s Anita Rani and Eat Well for Less’s Chris Bavin, Ashfield just couldn’t decide between the two products and, miraculously, both were deemed Aldi-ready. Both will be coming to Aldi near you from tomorrow morning. Here’s how you can buy the winning products, plus the other party food seen in the show.
Yorkshire Dama Cheese hello-mi rolls: £2.99, Aldi.co.uk
It’s the first double-winner of the series. Husband and wife duo Razan and Raghid from Yorkshire Dama Cheese have secured a contract to produce 40,000 packs of its party-size hello-mi rolls for the supermarket chain.
Tasked with creating a smaller roll with a different flavour and a better-looking packaging for the frozen aisle, the all-new and improved halloumi rolls were described as “delicious” by Ashfield, with its tasty chilli and za’atar flavouring.
Made with a blend of halloumi-style squeaky cheese, whey protein cheese and aromatic onion seeds, wrapped in crisp filo pastry, a pack of Yorkshire Dama Cheese’s hello-mi rolls will be available to buy from your local Aldi from tomorrow morning (17 April) for £2.99 per pack. You can also buy a pack of the company’s bigger-size hello-mi rolls from its website (£4, Yorkshiredamacheese.co.uk).
Nania’s Vineyard wine spritzer: £1.99, Aldi.co.uk
Just when we thought it was curtains for James and his low-ABV Nania wines in a can, Ashfield surprised us all by revealing that he, too, would be receiving a contract to stock his English wine spritzers at Aldi.
Despite all the advice James received from Aldi’s buyers, the winemaker stuck to his guns with his flavours and packaging, and Ashfield was still impressed with the changes he’d made. Yuzu and elderflower wine spritzers will be making their way to Aldi’s shelves, costing £1.99 each.
If you fancy trying James’ original flavours, you can get them from the company’s website and Amazon. There’s also a mixed pack of three Somerset Red wines (9.4%) and three Malvern Orange wines (9.2%) available to buy online (£39, Amazon.co.uk).
Read more: Best non-alcoholic wines, including red, white and sparkling
Patchwork Foods black pudding jam relish: £3.50, Patchworkfoods.com
It was a tough week for this episode’s party food and drink producers. The only other supplier to get a “stick around” from Ashfield were North Wales-based life partners Margaret and Jenny from Patchwork Foods, who produce pâtés and jams,
While the pair’s unusual black pudding jam intrigued the panel with its delicious peppery but sweet flavour, Ashfield thought it was more of a relish than a jam, and might not appeal to that many customers. If you want to try the black pudding jam for yourself, you can buy a jar from the company’s website (£3.50, Patchworkfoods.com). The brand even has a wink and a nod to Ashfeild’s comments, writing: “ Is it a jam? A spread? A relish? Frankly, when it tastes this divine, the label hardly matters”.
Slàinte boozy sauces: £6.95, Slaintesauces.com
Mairi from the west coast of Scotland was hoping to impress the panel with her boozy sauces that pour like syrup onto desserts and savoury dishes. While Rani called them “very delicious”, and Ashfield said they were heavy but “well balanced”, she didn’t think the market was anywhere near big enough, despite how delicious the sauces may have been.
Slàinte Sauces says that its boozy sauces contain nearly two measures of alcohol, making them a truly decadent adult-only treat. Sauces include whisky and butterscotch; rum and salted caramel; port, cherry and black pepper; chocolate espresso martini and more.
Humble Kusina Filipino bao buns: Dunkertoncider.co.uk
Cheltenham-based mum and daughter duo Jennifer and Consuelo served up a traditional Filipino bao bun filled with the country’s national dish of chicken adobo. But despite Humble Kusina’s bao buns getting the seal of approval from Rani and Bavin, Ashfield felt that Aldi didn’t have the resources to help scale the product up for a supermarket shelf.
If you’re near Cheltenham, you can visit Humble Kusina’s stall at Dunkertons Cider in Dowdeswell Park, where the eatery will serve up colourful bao buns, Pinoy barbecue succulent and sweet glazed pork skewers, Pancit Hipon – which is a blend of jumbo prawns and vegetables – and more.
Shocken Foods: Shockenfoods.com
Aldi’s Next Big Thing loves a charcuterie. From winning the deli episode last series to charcuterie pasta bombs almost winning it in the dinner episode, now we have another one. But this time, it’s completely vegan. Emma and Peter from London-based Shocken Foods served up plant-based alternatives to beef, hickory ham, ‘duja and fois gras.
While Ashfield described it all as delicious and Bavin was shocked when the pair revealed that all of the meats were completely vegan, Ashfield was left scratching her head trying to figure out who would buy it. If you think that’s you, you’ll still have to wait a while. Shocken Foods is currently fundraising to bring its products to market.
Visit Shocken Foods’ website now
Voucher codes
For offers on food and drink, try the links below:
Enjoy plant-based goodness delivered to your door, with the best vegan subscription boxes
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.