Aldi has begun handling fresh fruit and vegetables at its £500m Bardon distribution centre as it ramps up operations at what it says is the ‘UK’s largest automated supermarket warehouse’.
The first pallets of produce, including ginger and avocados, arrived at the 1.3m sq ft Leicestershire site on 16 September, with the first outbound pallet leaving the following day.
The milestone marks the next phase of the warehouse’s rollout after Aldi began initial operations at Bardon in May.
Once fully operational in 2027, the site is expected to handle more than 1.5m kg of fruit and vegetables a day during peak periods, with over 6,000 pallets of fresh produce leaving the warehouse daily for stores across the UK.
The fresh produce operation is split across three temperature-controlled areas designed to accommodate different products, including chilled storage for fruit and vegetables and a specialist banana room.
Automated technology supplied by logistics specialist Cimcorp is being used to move goods through the site while maintaining the different temperatures needed to preserve freshness and shelf life.
Within its chilled operation, pallets are stored in high-bay racking before automated shuttles retrieve them when stock is required for stores.
Aldi Bardon regional managing director Jonathan Heaton said the introduction of fresh produce represented a “step change” in how the supermarket serves shoppers.
He added that the technology would allow Aldi to handle large volumes of fresh products more efficiently while reducing the cost of moving goods between suppliers and stores.
Aldi pushes ahead with UK expansion
Aldi has invested more than £500m in Bardon as part of its wider £1.6bn investment programme across Britain during 2026 and 2027.
When fully operational, the warehouse will employ around 1,000 people and have capacity to process almost seven million pallets annually.
The facility is also expected to serve close to 350 Aldi stores and operate as a national replenishment hub supporting the discounter’s wider distribution network.
Aldi has installed 19,000 solar panels on the roof of the Bardon facility, which it claims has the lowest carbon density of any warehouse across the Aldi South Group.
It said additional distribution capacity at Bardon would support that expansion while helping it drive efficiencies across its supply chain.
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