Our Managing Director Robert Gosling 59, from Hartington Creamery based at Pikehall Farm in the Derbyshire Dales, will appear on Channel 4’s ‘Aldi’s Next Big Thing’ on Thursday 10^th November, alongside our cheesemakers Diane Alcock and Ryan Gee.

In the show, the trio will pitch our unique chilli and chocolate combination. Gold Winner at the 2021 Virtual Cheese Awards, is it a dessert or is it cheese or is it both? One thing viewers can be sure of is it’ll spark conversation and controversy!

Hartington Creamery is one of only five Stilton makers in the world and the heritage and quality of the creamery mixed with the product innovation caught the eye of Aldi as the business was chosen 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 in 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 four weeks to address any feedback, before presenting improved products to Julie who decides which product will appear as a Specialbuy in over 970 stores.

Hartington Creamery has a long heritage – first established by the Duke of Devonshire in the 1870s, it won prizes for its Stilton in the 1900s. Robert Gosling took over the farm in 2019 and is excited at the prospect of taking its artisan cheeses on to the shelves of Aldi.

Robert says: “Our small team of cheese loving people are ready to rock and roll with Aldi and let our innovation surprise and delight their shoppers. We think it’ll make a great talking point, as well as flying off shelves!”

Julie Ashfield says: “More and more shoppers are seeking out locally sourced, high quality products. But it’s a balance, offering fresh, great tasting ingredients while having the ability to service a supermarket like ours.”

The multi-category competition is part of Aldi’s ongoing commitment to locally sourced products. Aldi has pledged 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 we made it onto Aldi’s shelves, watch Aldi’s Next Big Thing on Channel 4, every Thursday 8pm until 24^th November!