Aldi invests £750m with British apple grower

By: Trademagazin editor Date: 2024. 05. 30. 09:14

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Aldi has invested £750m in a new 20-year deal with a Kent-based fruit farm, in a move that will see the creation of an “Aldi Orchard”.

AC Goatham & Son, which has supplied the discounter’s apples and pears since 2016 and supplies an estimated 250 million apples and pears to Aldi stores each year, was announced earlier last year as the grocer’s sole supplier of British apples.

The new deal will see the 200 acre-plot growing a mix of Gala and Braeburn apples exclusively for Aldi stores across the country, with the supermarket giant having said the long-term agreement will provide “vital support” for British farmers.

Aldi managing director of buying Julie Ashfield said: “We are proud to be one of the largest buyers of British apples and of our partnership with AC Goatham & Son.

“This new 20-year deal represents a £750m investment in British farming and demonstrates our long-term commitment to championing British produce.”

The new move comes as the discounter was named Apple Retailer of the Year by British Apples and Pears Limited (BAPL) and Fresh Produce Retailer of the Year 2023 by the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC).

The fruit farm, which was named Supermarket Fruit and Veg Supplier of the Year at the FPC Awards 2023, also has plans to plant an additional 100 acres per year of apple trees exclusively for Aldi.

Grocery Gazette