Future Food Stars starts tonight, and will see Gordon Ramsay test his 12 contenders to see if they’re ready to rise to the challenge.
The new Apprentice-style BBC One show will see 12 food and drink entrepreneurs battle to win Chef Ramsay’s £150,000 investment.
From vegan sweet-treats to unusually flavoured jams, each contestant is fighting to make their foodie pipe-dream into a reality.
The entrepreneurs will face a range of challenges related to running a food business, from learning new cooking techniques to mastering product development and marketing.
They all come from a range of culinary backgrounds, and are bringing a wide range of businesses to the table.
Bola Adegbenro, Jitterbug
Health coach and 50’s enthusiast Bola was inspired after swapping fizzy drinks for a tonic she made with apple cider vinegar blended with fruit juices and sparkling water.
She now has her own brand of apple cider vinegar seltzers in three flavours; Lemonade Swing, Orange Jive and Berry, with each bottle or can only containing 40 calories.
Jitterbug can be found on https://jitterbug.life/
Stephanie Buttery, Chu Lo
Stephanie’s business are Japanese inspired sour sodas, created after she was inspired by a sour alcoholic drink she loved when stationed as a Navy Lieutenant in Japan and decided to create her own soft version to market to gamers and the premium drinks market.
Chu Lo can be found on https://www.chu-lo.com/
Asher Flowers, Rogue
Ever tried Espresso Martini Marmalade? You’ll want to now.
Asher’s business involves some unusual jam, marmalade and chutney flavours, like Negroni Marmalade, Strawberry and Tonka Bean Jam and Bravado Chillie Pepper Jam.
Rogue can be found on https://www.enjoyrogue.com/
Valentina Fois, Lele’s
Valentina doesn’t just have a product to buy, but also a place to visit.
The vegan entrepreneur wants to make tasty vegan food an accessible option for everyone, and has started by creating vegan cake mixes.
You can find out more about her café and buy Lele’s cake mixes on https://www.leleslondon.com/
Vincenzo Gentile, Smokin’ Brothers
After a job working for a smoked salmon producer, Vincenzo saw their smoked salmon process and thought he could improve it, so wrote a business plan and pitched himself as a superior supplier and launched his business in 2019.
His brand is sustainable, artisan, smoked (using only smoke and salt), hand-sliced smoked salmon in fully compostable packaging.
Smokin’ Brothers can be found on https://smokin-brothers.com/
Leah Harkess, Norah’s Brownies
Leah spotted a gap in the market and found a way to treat people with allergies or dietary requirements, with her homemade dairy-free, gluten-free brownies.
Norah’s Brownies can be found on https://norahsbrownies.com/
Michelle Maddox, Clootie McToot
Michelle sells traditional clootie dumplings (steamed Scottish pudding made with dried fruit and spices) with not-so-traditional flavours including Rhubarb and Ginger, Strawberry and Prosecco, Damson Plum and Gin, and Chocolate Orange and Irish cream liqueur.
Clootie McToot can be found on https://clootiemctootdumplings.com/
Victoria Omobuwajo, Sunmo
Victoria’s launched a range of healthy snacks inspired by her mum’s plantain crisps, and has since expanded the range into other naturally vegan snacks which she is hoping to get into supermarkets across the UK.
Sunmo can be found on https://uk.sunmosnacks.com/
Amit Panwa, Pandeli
Amit is a chef and pub-restaurant owner who has created three simmering sauces and a hot sauce for his range of small-batch authentic Indian sauces using family recipes.
He doesn’t have an online shop yet to buy his bottled sauces.
Jamie Savage, Savage Mussels
Wanting to show how diverse mussel-based dishes can be whilst promoting sustainable seafood consumption, Jamie’s stall sells popcorn mussels, mussel burgers and is even developing a mussel stout.
You can see the Savage Mussels menu on https://www.savagesmussels.com/
Matthew Watts, Jackdaw
Matthew wants to open his first place with a zero-waste ethos and a special enterprise ambition, attracting customers who care about giving back to the community.
Jen Wright, The Cocktail Pickers Club
Cocktail lover Jen has brought the bar to your home, with a range of bottled cocktails including rhubarb vodka, rum with mango and ginger, passionfruit martini, and gin and elderflower.
The Cocktail Pickers Club can be found on https://cocktailpickers.co.uk/
Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars airs tonight (31 March) from 9pm.
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