Legendary Brighton chef Momma Cherri will compete for a place on Aldi’s supermarket shelves as part of a TV series airing next week.
Charita Jones, aka Momma Cherri, 68, beat hundreds of hopefuls to appear on next week’s episode of Aldi’s Next Big Thing with her ‘Love Dust’ all-purpose seasoning.
Her previous Brighton restaurant, the Soul Food Shack, appeared on Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares in 2005, where he was blown away by the quality of her cooking.
The former West End performer will pitch Love Dust, made with 20 different herbs and spices, which she makes at home and sells to customers worldwide.
Momma Cherri said: “It would mean the world to me to get my Love Dust into Aldi.
“When you put these seasonings in your pot it takes you to another place.
“It consists of 20 different ingredients, herbs and spices, combining my American roots with my African history, and a sprinkling of UK flavours.”
Born in Philadelphia, Momma Cherri arrived in the UK in 1978 after landing a part in a West End musical. She created her unique secret spice blend after missing American soul food.
She first opened the Soul shack in Little East Street, later moving to Momma Cherri’s Big House in the same street after her Kitchen Nightmares appearance.
The venture failed in 2009 although she briefly ran another venue – the shortlived Momma Cherri Speakeasy – in Providence Place, Brighton, which opened and closed later the same year.
In 2022, she did a residency at the Coooper’s Cask pub in Hove and last year she did a month-long pop-up in Gardner Street.
In the Aldi show, the shortlisted entrepreneurs compete for their products to appear as a Specialbuy in over 1,000 stores.
Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK, 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.”
Momma Cherri’s episode of Aldi’s Next Big Thing will air on Channel 4, Tuesday 30 April at 8pm.
Great chef poor business sense. But I do love her cooking!
Brilliant chef who knows how to appeal to all palates from all walks of life, when you taste her seasoning you remember it and want more for a long time to come.