Contestants on BBC show were tasked with making money from potatoes and tomatoes
New Covent Garden Market has played a key role in the latest episode of The Apprentice.
Candidates on the BBC TV show, who compete to win a six-figure salary job as Lord Alan Sugar’s apprentice, visited the London market an an episode entitled ‘Crops to Cash’, which challenged them to transform staple crops – tomatoes and potatoes – into profitable ventures.
Teams were tasked with creating dishes for the public, fulfilling bespoke corporate orders, and executing trade sales using tomatoes and potatoes from the market.
They were briefed by Lord Sugar in one of the refrigerated units of market tenant The Menu Partners, which also provided the fresh produce used by the two teams.
One team, led by Nadia Suliaman, turned their crop of potatoes into Bangers and Mash, while the other team, led by Mia Collins, used their glut of tomatoes to make pizzas. Their foodie creations were then sold to members of the public at a London market stall.
Mia’s team came out on top after selling their pizzas, while Nadia’s team managed to bring in £73.40 with their bangers and mash meal after they spent “five hundred-odd pounds” on sausages, according to Lord Sugar.
The dynamic environment of New Covent Garden Market provided the ideal backdrop for contestants to source fresh produce and experience firsthand the operations of a bustling wholesale market, with Lord Sugar commenting: “New Covent Garden Market is the place where people have been turning crops into cash for centuries.”
A market spokesperson noted that the episode of The Apprentice sparked conversations on social media, with many commenting on the outcome of the task set for the contestants.
Lindsay Broon wrote: “Chips would literally have been the easiest, cheapest and most popular thing to sell. Could sell them plain, and then add toppings and up the price. Bangers and mash was so random.”
Keely Bannister also commented: “Imagine getting potatoes and not choosing to make saag aloo. They deserved to lose.”
The episode comes soon after New Covent Garden Market celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Nine Elms location. Reflecting on the market’s legacy, Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA) chair Wanda Goldwag said: ”New Covent Garden Market has been the beating heart of London’s food supply chain over hundreds of years.
“Providing the freshest produce to our vibrant city is more than a job to our 175 fruit, vegetables and flower wholesalers; it’s their livelihood, and for many of them, a baton to pass on through generations.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to share their stories on last night’s episode, and a great opportunity to lift the lid on the market to showcase its importance as a central cog in the supply chain.”
