OPs watching the latest series of BBC One’s The Apprentice may have spotted a familiar face in Oliver Medforth (09-12), the Raisthorpe Manor and Yorkshire Tonics entrepreneur who was unfortunate to be the first participant to be fired from the group of 18 candidates competing for Lord Sugar’s £250K business investment.

During the show, the candidates were tasked with hosting a corporate away day in the Scottish Highlands. Despite his aspirations to play to his strengths in sales on the corporate team, Ollie found himself making brownies in the kitchen as part of the hospitality sub team. With little culinary experience, Ollie inadvertently omitted to add the flour, a key ingredient for chocolate brownies. Although his mistake only contributed in a small way to the team’s overall downfall in the task, it has sparked a big new business idea for Ollie, who has used his entrepreneurial nous and creativity to launch his own brand of ‘Ollternative’ flour-free brownies.

Ollie commented: “I was disappointed to go out first, but it’s given me the opportunity to go on to do something else and create a new business idea with the flourless chocolate brownies. So, I’m doing that alongside our Yorkshire Tonics and Raisthorpe Manor distillery. I turned a negative into a positive.”

Ollie has already expanded the Ollternative range to include premium and salted caramel & chocolate brownie vodkas.

Speaking about the show he said: “It has been a fantastic experience and something I will always remember; I wish all the other candidates the very best of luck.”

Further details about Raisthorpe Manor, Yorkshire Tonics, and the Ollternative product range can be found by clicking here.

The Apprentice currently airs at 9.00pm every Thursday on BBC One until 23 March 2024.