Sky Living takes the Cooks to Market

The channel is to air next month a factual entertainment series which chef and food writer Gizzi Erskine will give amateur cooks and bakers a chance to turn their homemade food into business success stories.

“The series will give amateur cooks and bakers a unique opportunity to see whether they can turn their delicious homemade food products into life-changing business opportunities.” Sky state.

Cooks To Market sees Erskine assisted by James Averdieck, founder of the £50m Gu Puddings empire, who will offer his business expertise.

Innocent Smoothies, Covent Garden Soups and Ben and Jerry’s are just a few examples of food companies that began life on a market stall and have become hugely successful global businesses – all started by people with a culinary passion. Each episode of will feature two pairs of cooks – friends, relatives or work colleagues – who will be given a budget of £250 and a kitchen to work in, with just one day to cook their products in more quantities than they’ve ever done before.

In the moment of reckoning, the pair who succeeds will then be given the chance to pitch their product in front of a line-up of industry buyers including restaurant entrepreneur Sarah Willingham and executives and investors from the likes of Harrods, Waitrose, Easyjet, Virgin Atlantic, EAT, Coffee Republic and Budgens. Can their product become the next big supermarket brand?

“With original food creations and recipes such as ice-cream sandwiches, alcoholic cupcakes, Indian pastries, curry sauces, fudge and stews, the two pairs of budding cooks will go head to head, working against the clock and testing their relationships to breaking point as they try to sell their products at markets, festivals and events and make the highest profit.” Sky add.

Cooks to Market will air on Sky Living from September 5th at 8pm.