Ocado announces the shortlist for Britain's Next Top Supplier_Hiver Beers MS

• South-East Londoner is named a finalist in national Ocado competition
• Hannah Rhodes from Bermondsey shortlisted to pitch to Sir Stuart Rose and Tom Kerridge in a bid to be crowned Ocado’s Britain’s Next Top Supplier

LONDON: Hannah Rhodes from Bermondsey has beaten off hundreds of applicants from across the UK to be shortlisted for Britain’s Next Top Supplier, a competition by online supermarket ocado.com to find the next big thing in food and drink.

Hannah entered her delicious ‘Hiver Beer’, a British craft beer brewed with Urban and Rural Honey. Hiver Beer caught the judges’ eye thanks to its delicious flavour and innovative brewing method.

Hannah will now deliver a ‘Dragons’ Den’ style business pitch to a panel of experts including retail legend and Ocado Chairman, Sir Stuart Rose, and Michelin starred chef and TV personality, Tom Kerridge who will be on the hunt for a product of high quality and unlike anything else on the market.

The winner of the national competition will secure an exclusive listing at ocado.com and a £10,000 marketing package to promote their product through Ocado’s website, PR and social media channels.

Hannah Rhodes, Hiver Beers said, “I am so excited to pitch to Sir Stuart Rose and Tom Kerridge and can’t believe I’m in the top five! After attending an Urban Beekeeping course, I really fell in love with honey as a product and the stories behind Beekeeping. After trying a few honey beers, I felt that there was a lot more that could be done and so I set about developing a recipe that really show cased the honey and its story through a great quality beer.”

Tom Kerridge, Author of Proper Pub Food and Chef Patron of The Hand & Flowers said, “I am really looking forward to the pitches. The shortlisted products all look great and I can’t wait to try them!”

Sir Stuart Rose, Ocado Chairman said, “All of the finalists are hidden gems and it’s going to be a jolly tough decision to pick a winner. In the pitch, each of the shortlisted producers will have to prove the quality of their product and also show flair, passion and excitement for their brand. I will be looking for a product that has the potential to be a big seller but also something original and quirky.”

Britain’s Next Top Supplier builds on Ocado’s history of supporting new, up and coming purveyors including Yorkshire Provender, Muddy Boots, Higgidy and What on Earth. The competition has already given applicants the chance to meet Ocado’s buyers and benefit from expert guidance on how to secure a listing with a large supermarket.

The winning product or range will be announced in March.

For more information, images and interview requests, please contact M&C Saatchi PR:

Olivia Burrell:olivia.burrell@mcsaatchi.com/ 020 3617 6531
Thom Landers:thom.landers@mcsaatchi.com / 020 3617 8464