New Covent Garden Market was ‘hired’ in the latest episode of The Apprentice - entitled 'Crops to Cash' – as contestants competed by selling meals and products made from high quality, fresh produce from the Market.

The Apprentice candidates were challenged to a unique task which put them right at the heart of the London culinary supply chain. The hungry hopefuls, all competing to win a six-figure salary job as Lord Alan Sugar’s apprentice, visited the Market, to be challenged to transform staple crops - tomatoes and potatoes - into profitable ventures, mirroring NCGM’s pivotal role in London's food supply chain.

In the task, teams were tasked with creating dishes for the public, fulfilling bespoke corporate orders, and executing trade sales using tomatoes and potatoes bought from The Menu Partners (TMP).

They were briefed by Lord Sugar in one of the refrigerated units of TMP. 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 tomatoes to make pizzas.

Their foodie creations were then sold to members of the public at different London market stalls. Mia’s team came out on top and  the dynamic environment of NCGM provided the ideal backdrop for contestants to source fresh produce and experience firsthand the operational elements of a bustling wholesale market.

Lord Sugar commented on the iconic status of the market: “New Covent Garden Market is the place where people have been turning crops into cash for centuries.”

The episode 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.”

Wanda Goldwag OBE, Chair of Covent Garden Market Authority, stated: "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 appear on The Apprentice and a great opportunity to lift the lid on the market to showcase its importance as a central cog in the supply chain.”

The episode is available to watch in full through the BBC's iplayer service.