Harry Specters chocolate gains Aldi distribution deal, with inspiring firm supporting autistic employees
Viewers of Channel 4’s Aldi’s Next Big Thing witnessed the inspiring story of Harry Specters chocolate business, which supports employment for those with autism, rewarded with a major contract from the leading retailer, reports Neill Barston.
The UK screen series has invited emerging enterprises to compete for the lucrative prize of national distribution of their respective products across the food and drink sector.
Aldi’s buyers were impressed with the vision for Cambridgeshire-based Harry Specters, whose founders Shaz and Mona Shah, were inspired to start their company to offer employment for their 24 year-old son Ash, who has autism, with the couple highlighting the fact that more than 80% of people with the condition find gaining work extremely challenging.
In a close contest screened last night (Thursday), the German-founded retailer offered a distribution deal to the budding confectionery business, alongside Howard Kinder, 61, and his son Harry, 26, from Malton Brewery, with their Yorkshire Pudding Beer, which was also considered to have strong potential for the national grocery company.
The decision means Harry Specters Chocolate Bars will also be on shelves nationwide from today for £2.49 (100g). The bars, which are available in three different flavours: Milk Sea Salt Caramel, Milk Peanut Butter and Dark Orange, are all made at Harry Specters headquarters in Ely by its workforce of autistic people.
Speaking on the result Mona Shah believed it would be a fantastic opportunity to expand the business, with the couple admitting that it had been a long journey to progress their business. As viewers saw, the company was asked to adapt its high quality gifting chocolates to extend them to a format beyond special occasion gifting.
“We wanted to do something not just for him [Ash] but others like him. We looked up some statistics and found 85% of autistic people are unemployed and 61% of them are desperate to work,” explained Mona.
This was just one of the stories featured last night in Aldi’s Next Big Thing, which is 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 show sees hopeful suppliers compete for a space on Aldi’s shelves, before Aldi’s Julie Ashfield decides on the winner.
Other contenders competing for the retail chain’s backing within the treat category included a unique smoked rum, a quirky twist on Empire Biscuits, premium ice cream made on a Cheshire dairy farm and a chocolate bar stuffed with cheese and onion crisps, the Bar of Crisps, as reported yesterday.
Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi UK, says: “Choosing between beer and chocolate was just too tough. The love and innovation that has gone into their products is just outstanding. They are both fantastic products and it just felt right to make both winners.
“Moments like this just really make me love my job. You could see how much it meant to both of them. And I’m confident our shoppers are going to enjoy these fantastic treats.”
Shaz Shah of Harry Specters added that in terms of the social impact of its win, the gains would be ‘massive,’ and the news had offered a valuable confidence boost to its employees.