Silvi Cives, 40, originally from Argentina and now living in Wimbledon, will appear on Channel 4’s “Aldi’s Next Big Thing” on Thursday 27th October
Star baker and expert pastry chef Silvi is the founder of London Apron, a bakery business specialising in plant-based meringues made with 100% natural, vegan and gluten-free ingredients. Silvi was picked from hundreds of applicants to compete for a life changing contract to stock Aldi stores nationwide.
Hosted by Anita Rani, of Countryfile and BBC Radio 4 and Chris Bavin, of Britain’s Best Home Cook and Eat Well for Less? the six part series sees suppliers compete from categories such as dinners, baked goods, treats and store cupboard essentials.
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 whittling contestants down to just two.
The finalists are then given 4 weeks to address any feedback, before presenting improved products to Julie who decides which product will appear as a Specialbuy in 970 stores.
Silvi, who hails from Argentina, spotted a gap in the market for vegan meringues, and has since been perfecting her innovative recipe that leaves out the eggs and uses the water from boiled chickpeas, also known as ‘aquafaba’.
Since starting the business in her own kitchen, Silvi has grown into a small production site in South London where she makes mini vegan meringues that can be enjoyed on their own or added to desserts.
Having already had some retail success with listings in Planet Organic and Holland & Barrett, Silvi is now eyeing a gap on Aldi’s shelves, saying: “Aldi could be the first supermarket in the world to stock vegan meringues.”
Aldi’s Next Big Thing is part of the supermarket’s ongoing commitment to locally sourced products. Aldi has invested an extra £1.6 billion with British suppliers since the start of the pandemic, including £125 million spent with meat, poultry and dairy farmers in the UK.
Aldi has also reaffirmed its pledge to prioritise home-grown suppliers as it works towards spending an additional £3.5 billion a year with British businesses by the end of 2025.
To find out if Silvi made it on to Aldi’s shelves watch Aldi’s Next Big Thing on Channel 4, every Thursday 8pm until 24th November.
