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REVOLUTIONARY BOOZY KOMBUCHA WINS LIFE-CHANGING ALDI CONTRACT IN CHANNEL 4 SHOW 

13 November, 2026

• Zach of Manchester-based Stiff Tea was crowned winner of the ‘Party’ episode of Aldi: The Next Big Seller  

• Stiff Tea’s alcoholic kombucha (£1.49, 330ml) hits Aldi shelves* as an exclusive Specialbuy from 13^th November   

Landing in Aldi stores nationwide from Friday 13^th November is Stiff Tea’s ‘In a Pickle’ and ‘Grape Cooler’ alcoholic kombucha (3.4% ABV). The launch comes after Aldi’s Chief Commercial Officer, Julie Ashfield, announced the innovative booze brand as the winner of the ‘Party’ episode of Channel 4’s Aldi: The Next Big Seller. 

Julie Ashfield, alongside judges Anita Rani and Jimmy Doherty, awarded the Manchester-bred founder Zach Taylor (32), from Stiff Tea, a life-changing contract to supply his alcoholic ‘hard’ kombucha drinks to Aldi stores.  

Available in two flavours — Pickle and Grape & Apple —Stiff Tea captured hearts with its bold mission to take kombucha beyond health and wellness and into the realm of pure flavour for social drinking occasions. Billed as the UK’s first properly brewed boozy kombucha, the ‘In A Pickle’ flavour is brewed with real juiced gherkins and the ‘Grape Cooler’ flavour is brewed with grapes and apples. The result is a vegan and gluten-free tipple that is light, tart, and slightly savoury, drinking similarly to a fruit cider or craft beer. 

The business was launched in October 2024 by Zach, who holds a master’s degree in brewing and distilling and boasts a decade of experience across the craft beer and traditional kombucha industries. Passionate about brewing, Zach wanted to create a boozy, fun alternative to traditional kombucha that didn’t rely on health claims.  

What started as a “lightbulb moment” back in 2020 has now evolved into a fast-scaling business, recently partnering with larger production facilities to meet growing demand.  

Zach Taylor, founder of Stiff Tea, says: “Being stocked in Aldi is a dream come true. Running a bootstrapped business is almost impossibly hard, so to get the opportunity to work with a national supermarket with what is on the surface a quite niche product so early in our journey is unbelievable. We really can’t wait for shoppers to discover us and join our community and come along for the ride.”  

Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, says: “What Zach has created with Stiff Tea is truly unique. Taking kombucha into the party aisle with trending flavours like pickles was a bold move, but the flavours speak for themselves. Discovering passionate entrepreneurs like Zach and helping him reach over 1,080 stores is what makes Aldi: The Next Big Seller so special. I’m excited for our customers to taste the drinks for themselves!” 

Hosted by Anita Rani and Jimmy Doherty alongside Aldi’s Julie Ashfield, the six-part Channel 4 series sees emerging food and drink producers compete across factors like taste, price, packaging, and scalability. 

After shortlisting finalists to refine their products, one winner per category is selected to land a life-changing listing as an Aldi Specialbuy. For Zach, this win secured an order of ‘In a Pickle’ and ‘Grape Cooler’ for Aldi’s shelves.  

The multi-category competition highlights Aldi’s ongoing commitment to supporting British farmers, growers, and suppliers, providing small and emerging businesses with a national retail platform.  

Since airing in 2022, the series has helped turn emerging food businesses with tiny kitchen operations into nationwide brands such as Flake Bake who became the first ever winner to return as a permanent product in Aldi stores. Flake Bake’s co-founder Mike Williams has described the business’ journey since its appearance on the show as “simply phenomenal.” 

Stiff Tea’s ‘In a Pickle’ and ‘Grape Cooler’ are available in Aldi stores from Friday 13^th November as a Specialbuy, but shoppers will need to be quick. As with all Aldi Specialbuys, when they’re gone, they’re gone! 

Aldi: The Next Big Seller airs on Channel 4, Thursdays at 8pm with a Christmas Special in December. Or stream Channel 4’s catch up service here.