Aldi has announced plans to increase the amount of food and drink it buys from British suppliers by £3.5bn a year within the next five years as it continues its rapid expansion across the UK.
The company is investing £500m in new and upgraded stores, distribution centres and its supply chain in 2021, which will create over 4,000 jobs as well as new opportunities for British food and drink producers.
“We are expecting significant sales growth in 2021 as we open new stores and bring Aldi to more locations across the UK,” said chief executive Giles Hurley. “With the vast majority of our grocery products now coming from British suppliers, our growth will lead to additional jobs and investment in our UK supply chain.”
An NFU spokesperson said: “It’s positive news that Aldi is making further commitments to invest in the UK supply chain, a pledge which will help British food and farming businesses to grow.
“Aldi is already a big supporter of British agriculture, spending over £8 billion with British suppliers in 2019 and sourcing core ranges of fresh meat, milk and eggs from Britain.”