Flake Bake, the South London father-and-son business behind handmade Jamaican patties, will release a range of ready meals exclusively at Aldi from 16 September 2026, priced at £3.99. The move follows the company's success in winning Aldi's 'Next Big Thing' competition in 2024 and selling over 4.5 million patties since September 2024.
From local community to national shelves
Pete and Mike Williams started Flake Bake in 2012, supplying handmade patties to Caribbean takeaways in their South London community. Over 14 years, the business has grown from local distribution to nationwide stock. Mike Williams told MyLondon: "We started off supplying handmade patties to Caribbean takeaways, and we were like the hidden faces behind a lot of Caribbean takeaways. After we pitched our product to Aldi on the Next Big Thing, a show I had never heard of, and we won, everything switched in my brain."
Before the Aldi win, the duo considered closing the business. Mike explained: "We were thinking of closing the business but that changed everything. We found a manufacturer, thanks to Aldi, who was willing to take on the making of our patties, and since September 2024, we've sold over 4.5 million patties. It transformed everything for us. We still have the handmade business, but I had a vision, so that's where ready meals came into it."
Ready meals with authentic Jamaican flavours
The new ready-meal range features two flavours: traditional Jerk Chicken with rice and peas, and BBQ Beef and Sweet Potato Mash. Mike was determined to keep the food authentic while scaling production. He said: "I love cooking and can do it in my kitchen, but how can you do 25,000 units and supply it to a major retail store? How can you source jerk sauce that will be accredited in the UK? You can't buy it from your local food shop; it needs to be accredited. These are the challenges we faced, but we were able to overcome them by building our own seasonings using different spice companies. Now, our ready meals are ready to go onto the shelves."
Mike's father, Pete, originally a baker who came to the UK in the 1980s, acts as an advisor. Mike added: "I think the best bit is, my dad is watching his son now create something special for the community. It's a big deal. He's constantly pushing me to keep going."
Community roots and national ambitions
Pete highlighted the business's community foundation: "For 10 years, we were selling patties in Peckham. We're the largest handmade patty supplies in London. We make 20,000 patties by hand, so it's a testament to what our team build in Peckham. [At heart] we are a community business and will always keep supplying local Caribbean and African shops that rely on these patties. That is our foundation. During Notting Hill Carnival, we made 50,000 patties by hand."
Mike reflected on the brand's growth: "How many Jamaican patty brands did you know growing up? There are three major ones, and it's a hard space to get into. If somebody had told me one day that I'd be representing the Caribbean community on a national level in the UK, I'd have laughed at them. Two years ago, we were selling patties locally; now we've got a brand that is actually competing nationally."
The ready meals are designed to taste as close as possible to home-cooked food, with bold jerk flavours and Scotch bonnet peppers. The range will be available exclusively at Aldi from 16 September 2026.
