Aldi’s Next Big Thing on Channel 4: 'Authentic taste' brought to screens by Puff Puff Ministry

Two north London sisters will compete on Channel 4 in a bid to see their desserts stocked on Aldi’s shelves.

Sisters Marianne Olaleye, 29, and Yossie Olaleye, 30, from Wood Green, founded Puff Puff Ministry, a bakery selling traditional West African dough balls with sweet toppings.

They appear on Aldi’s Next Big Thing, airing on Tuesday (April 30), for a contract to supply the supermarket chain.

Marianne said: “Bringing a slice of our heritage to a nationwide supermarket was just an incredible opportunity.”

While the dough balls, known as ‘puff puff’, are traditionally served plain as street food, Puff Puff Ministry offers toppings such as Oreo, Nutella, and Biscoff.

The sisters grew up in Nigeria, where their mother owned a bakery, and Marianne says they moved to the UK when she was around 12. Using their mother’s recipe, they launched Puff Puff Ministry in 2020. Marianne said: “We knew we had a really good recipe in the family.”

Though Puff Puff Ministry has expanded greatly since its roots as an e-commerce business, Marianne stressed that the original recipe has not changed.

“We never wanted to compromise on the authentic taste of puff puff,” she said, adding that, with the exception of the toppings, the puff puffs they sell in London taste the same as those in West Africa.

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When offered the chance to appear on Aldi’s Next Big Thing, Marianne said they decided to compete to spread the word about puff puffs.

The entrepreneurs will present their products to Julie Ashfield, Aldi UK’s managing director of buying, and the show's hosts, broadcaster and author Anita Rani and Chris Bavin, of the BBC’s The One Show and Eat Well for Less.

The winning contestant's product will appear as a Specialbuy in more than 1,000 stores.

While Marianne said convincing Ashfield their production could be scaled up, along with testing the puff puffs’ shelf life in a laboratory, was challenging, she enjoyed the opportunity to speak with the Aldi exec directly.

"Having their feedback on our product was a massive, massive benefit, and it just confirmed that we have what it takes to really make our mark on the London dessert scene," Marianne said.

She said viewers will see previously secret techniques, such as how they shape puff puffs, as well as a preview of their new packaging designs.

Ms Ashfield said of the competition: “What's most exciting about the world foods category is the breadth of what's possible. What used to be a narrow selection of cuisines, such as curries and noodles, has expanded into new flavours, dishes and ingredients.

“World cuisine presents an affordable alternative to eating out or buying takeaways.”

Aldi described the competition as part of its ongoing commitment to support British suppliers.

Last year, Aldi said it spent an additional £1.3 billion with British suppliers and growers, and that they provide more than three quarters of all items sold in its stores. 

Aldi’s Next Big Thing airs on Channel 4 every Tuesday at 8pm until May 7.