Yahoo News Couple looking to rival Linda McCartney in the vegan industry
A woman is hoping to become the next big thing in the vegan industry - competing with the likes of Linda McCartney Foods.
Lucy Linford, originally from Wavertree, is set to appear on series two of Channel 4’s Aldi’s Next Big Thing alongside her fiancée Lou Capener.
The 27-year-old entrepreneur is the brains behind Desert Island Dumplings, which prides itself on producing speciality vegan dumplings in a variety of “innovative flavours” including salt and pepper chicken, cheezburger and hoisin mock duck.
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The creative writing graduate's vegan dumplings were picked from hundreds competing for a “life-changing” contract to stock Aldi stores nationwide.
Lucy, who spent most of her life living in Ellesmere Port, told the ECHO: “There is a bit of a glass ceiling in terms of people like me, working class, getting into a supermarket. You don’t see people like me stocked on the shelves in supermarkets. It’s very difficult to get into without having the money behind you.”
Lucy started making her veggie and vegan dumplings at home first, and would deliver them on her bike after selling through Instagram. As they became more popular, she applied for a £100 loan from the Prince's Trust and bought a deep fat drier, gazebo and a hot plate.
With her new kit, she was able to visit food markets and started at Smithdown Road Festival, before bagging residencies in venues such as the Kazimier Garden, in Liverpool city centre. She now has a permanent spot in Afflecks, in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where she lives.
She said: “At Desert Island Dumplings, we believe that flavour and choice shouldn’t just be for meat-eaters. We envisage a future where the constrictive mushroom option for vegetarians and vegans will be a thing of the past. To have my products stocked on Aldi’s shelves would be an absolute dream come true.
“But my hope is that an investor watches or even another supermarket sees our product and wants to come on this journey with us.”
As part of the Channel 4 six-part series, viewers will watch as Lucy presents her products to Aldi’s managing director of buying Julie Ashfield. She deliberates on factors such as price, packaging, shopper demand, and the ability to scale up, before shortlisting contestants down to just two.
If Lucy makes the final, she will be given four weeks to address any feedback, with a follow-up home visit from broadcaster Anita Rani and Chris Bavin, of BBC’s The One Show. The three will taste the improved products before Julie decides the winner - which will appear as a Specialbuy in over 1,000 stores.
Julie Ashfield said: “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."
Win £100 shopping voucher to celebrate the return of Aldi’s Next Big Thing
