// Aldi invested £125 million more with British suppliers since start of pandemic
// Aldi said the commitment will help hundreds more small British businesses to grow
Aldi has announced it has invested an extra £1.6 billion with British suppliers since the start of the pandemic.
The figure includes £125 million more spent with British meat, poultry and dairy farmers.
Aldi has also reaffirmed its pledge to prioritise home-grown suppliers as it works towards spending an additional £3.5 billion a year with British businesses by the end of 2025.
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Aldi said the commitment will help hundreds more small British businesses to grow.
“We were the fastest-growing supermarket in the UK in 2021 and that has only been possible by working closely, over long periods, with hundreds of British suppliers,” Aldi UK chief executive, Giles Hurley said.
“As we continue to grow, opening new stores across the UK, we are determined to ensure that the vast majority of our grocery products continue to come from British suppliers, just as they do now.”
Last summer, Aldi also launched a supplier development programme – “Grow with Aldi” – offering British Spirits producers the chance to see their product sold in Aldi stores across the country.
The winner was Herefordshire-based fruit farmers turned craft gin distillery, Penrhos Gin who saw its bottles stocked in over 900 Aldi stores and as well as online.
Aldi said it is also creating 2000 UK jobs this year in an effort to open an average of one new store a week.
From next month, all store colleagues will be paid a minimum of £10.10 an hour nationally, or £11.55 for those inside the M25.
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