A Peckham father and son whose beef patties sold out at Aldi stores in just 48 hours say the phone ‘hasn’t stopped ringing’ as everyone – including a Premier League football club – wants to try them.
Paul, 54, and Mike Williams 33, have run Flake Bake – a wholesale bakery specialising in handmade Jamaican patties, for the last twelve years.
In that time they have sold over six million patties and have earned a reputation in southeast London – alongside First Choice in Brixton which closed down not long ago.
Recently, the pair were launched into the spotlight – after they won the Channel 4 show Aldi’s Next Big Thing – a hunt for a brand new product to stock in its stores. As a result, their patty was stocked at 1000 of Aldi’s stores across the UK.
However, after Flake Bake’s beef patty sold out everywhere in two days – the fastest-selling product from the show – it looks like Aldi will have to make a bigger order (and fast.)
To reflect on their overnight success, we went down to see Mike and Paul at the bakery, based on an unassuming industrial site on Penarth Street.
Mike told us: “Since winning the show it’s just been non-stop. Everyone was talking about this patty. UB40, Loose Women – even Man City Football Club reached out to us.”
In 2018, Mike tragically lost his mum, a nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’ – to whom they dedicate their success. “When we won it was a win for her as well,” he said.
Mike explained that when they knew the show was airing – he set up a video with London-based food influencer, ‘Eating with Tod‘ (Toby Inskip) – which got 2 million views.
“So when the show came out and people learned they could buy it in an Aldi near them, that demand had already been created.”
Paul, who ran a little bakery on Bellenden Road before Flake Bake, said: “It feels like we’ve put patties on the map in the UK.”
Originally from Bog Walk, a little town in Saint Catherine – he said the perfect Jamaican patty is ‘all in the flake and the crust.’ “When you eat one, it should get all over your clothes,” Paul said.
The 54-year-old added that when they entered the contest, he ‘knew’ they would win. “You have to speak positively – I know our patties are the best. We never had a doubt.”
But Mike said they were up against some other products that had won major awards – and he wondered whether the product would be accepted in the mainstream.
“Patties are always in the World Food section at stores – we want it next to the pasties and bread, as an alternative.”
They are currently in talks with other major retailers to get their patties into other stores – another win for Flake Bake, which according to Mike, ‘had never been on their radar’ before.
Given the rise of this humble product – will they be moving out of their kitchen in Peckham?
“We don’t want to,” Mike replied, “we still want to keep this place for the community who have always bought our patties.”