Tag: Aldi

Aldi set to be Chieftan O’ The Pudden Race with Burns Night range from just 99p

To help Scot’s mark one of the most celebrated days in the calendar, Aldi Scotland has unveiled its Burns Night Specialbuy range, which includes Macaulay’s haggis for just 99p.

Available at all 102 Scottish stores from 13th January, Scots are guaranteed unbeatable bargains on all essential food and drink in honour of the country’s foremost poet.

Those looking for quality products at a fraction of the price will not be disappointed as Aldi Scotland’s everyday haggis range has both the traditional fare and a vegetarian option available for only 99p (offer available 13th – 25th Jan). While Simon Howie’s Gluten Free Haggis makes sure no one is left out of the fun for just £1.99.

The supermarket, which was awarded Multiple Fruit and Vegetable Retailer of the Year 2021 by the Fresh Produce Consortium, will also be launching an exclusive Burns Supper Super Six veg offering, complete with tatties, neeps and all the trimmings supplied by local producers from just 35p.

Customers looking for the perfect centrepiece to their Burns Night celebrations, can pick up a Specially Selected Chieftain Haggis for only £2.99 and no celebration would be complete without ‘tak’ing a cup of kindness’ and with multi award-winning Glen Marnoch 12 year-old Speyside Single Malt reduced to just £17.99 (offer available 13th – 25th Jan) Aldi has all the essentials covered. 

Not a fan of the ‘Great chieftain o the puddin’-race’? No problem, Aldi Scotland has a fantastic range of both traditional and unique Scottish products available, including Punjab Pakora’s Iron Brew Pakora (£1.79) which is back on shelves due to popular demand.

And those looking for a twist on Scotland’s national dish are spoilt for choice with Punjab Pakora’s Haggis Pakora (£1.49), Curried Haggis Bites by Simon Howie (£1.99) and Bell’s Steak and Haggis Pie (£2.99) all included in the retailer’s Best of Scotland range.

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “Burns Night is our chance to celebrate everything which is great about Scotland, and this year our Burns Night range has something for everyone.

“As well as offering great prices on classic dishes, we are offering vegetarian and gluten-free options, as well as some more unique Scots’ products like Iron Brew Pakora and Curried Haggis Bites.

“In 2021 we continued to underline our commitment to Scottish suppliers and produce, supplying over 450 Scottish products from over 90 local suppliers to our shoppers. We are now pleased to be kicking of 2022 by once again working with so many of our long-standing suppliers in Scotland to offer our customers a fantastic range of products.”

Aldi donates 9,224 meals to Lothians charities over Christmas

Aldi has supported local charities, community groups and food banks in the Lothians by donating 9,224 meals to people in need this Christmas. 

The supermarket paired up its stores with local organisations to make the most of unsold fresh and chilled food after stores closed on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, as part of its pledge to donate 1.8 million meals to families experiencing food poverty during November and December. 

Around 550,000 meals were donated nationwide and more than 700 UK causes benefitted from the initiative over the festive period,  

The initiative is part of Aldi’s successful partnership with Neighbourly, a community giving platform that links businesses to charitable organisations. Thanks to this, all of Aldi’s over 950 UK stores now donate surplus food to good causes seven days a week, all year round. 

This year’s Christmas donations have helped Aldi to meet its pledge to donate 10 million meals to families in need in 2021 through its partnership with Neighbourly. 

Mary Dunn, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK, said: “The festive season is always a hard time for people affected by food poverty, so we are incredibly proud to have supported so many amazing causes in the Lothians this Christmas.” 

Since beginning its partnership with Neighbourly in April 2019, Aldi has donated more than 20 million meals across the UK. 

Steve Butterworth, from Neighbourly, added: “This Christmas was without a doubt one of the busiest on record for the UK’s charities and food banks. The sizeable donations from Aldi would have been a massive lifeline for so many of them.” 

Aldi has been working with Neighbourly since early 2019. As part of the partnership, Aldi introduced community donation points in all stores last year, offering customers the opportunity to donate any food or household products to local causes all year round. 

Not Socks Again?! Donate your unwanted Christmas socks to people who need them most

Aldi Scotland has launched its ‘Not Socks Again?!’ campaign for the second year running, following its widespread success in 2021, which saw more than 2000 pairs of socks donated to good causes.

The initiative encourages customers to donate any unwanted or extra unused socks they may have received as Christmas gifts to charities supporting people in need across Scotland.

Every year, millions of people receive socks for Christmas that they often don’t want or need, charities across Scotland do, and Aldi’s ‘Not Socks Again?!’ campaign aims to put these gifts to better use by donating new and unused socks to those who need them most.  

Aldi’s Sock Amnesty’ boxes will be in stores across Scotland from the 3rd of January until the end of the month, where people can drop off their unused socks to help keep vulnerable people warm this winter.

Aldi has linked up with three Scottish charities for this year’s initiative: Aberlour Children’s Charity, Simon Community Scotland, and Bethany Christian Trust.

The Bethany Christian Trust are working toward the goal of ending homelessness in Scotland. The team at the Bethany Christian Trust offer a broad range of services, from assistance with housing, education and employment, to crisis intervention wellbeing support.

Nathanael Smith, Community Fundraiser, Bethany Christian Trust, said: “It’s surprising how much a good pair of socks can make a difference in someone’s life.

“It’s a simple gift that can mean warmth, comfort and dignity to those in need. Thanks to Aldi for making such an amazing project possible.”

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “Following an immensely challenging year, the team at Aldi Scotland were eager to support charities which are working tirelessly to help those in need.

“In winter, charities are always looking for essential items to be donated, and so we thought, why not encourage our customers to donate any unwanted gifts of socks to people who truly need them.

Aldi will also contribute a £250 donation to each charity in the hope of helping the most vulnerable in our communities.

Aldi’s Sock Amnesty boxes will be in store from 3rd January and customers are invited to drop off any unwanted, new and unused, socks which will be donated to the charity in their local area.”  

This initiative builds on Aldi’s commitment to supporting communities across Scotland. Since 2016, Aldi’s Scottish Sports Fund has supported over 500 local clubs with more than £290,000 worth of donations.

In addition, Aldi has helped to provide over 10 million meals to vulnerable people across the UK through its partnership with community engagement platform, Neighbourly. Aldi also helped 12 local foodbanks this year after it relaunched its popular Supermarket Sweep programme this year.

To find your nearest Aldi store please visit their website here and donate your unwanted socks this Christmas.

Food Banks in Scotland struggle to keep up with rising demand as donations fall

Food banks in Scotland are preparing for their most challenging Christmas yet as they struggle with rising demand and dwindling public donations, new research shows. 

According to a survey by community giving platform Neighbourly – which Aldi partners with to distribute surplus food from its stores – 68% of food banks, charities and community causes in Scotland are worried about having enough food to support people this Christmas. 

Neighbourly polled more than 600 food banks and community causes nationwide and found that 89% in Scotland expect this Christmas to be their busiest yet, with more people than ever needing their support. 

However, the survey also revealed that 71% of food banks in the region have witnessed a drop in donations in recent months – with the fallout of the pandemic and rising cost of living continuing to impact contributions. 

On average, food banks in Scotland expect to see a 36% increase in demand over the next three months, with organisations in the area currently supporting an average of 203 people a week. More than 67% say they’ve already experienced an increase in demand since the summer. 

From tinned foods to festive treats and toiletries, the research also revealed a list of the items that are most needed by food banks over the festive period to help guide supporters. Shoppers can donate food to local charities, food banks and community groups via the community donation points in Aldi stores nationwide. 

Mary Dunn, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas can be a particularly busy time for the local charities and organisations we support, but this year is set to be more challenging than ever.  

“As part of our Christmas campaign with Kevin the Carrot and Marcus Radishford, we have committed to donate 1.8 million meals to good causes in the lead-up to Christmas – and we know that our customers in Scotland want to help too.

“If you feel you are in a position to help, your donation could make all the difference to food banks this Christmas.” 

Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: “The findings of our latest survey highlight that the continued impact of the pandemic, combined with increased inflation, is being very much felt by communities up and down the country, with charities and local causes feeling the effects too.

“We’d encourage anyone who is able to give back in the coming weeks to do so.” 

Aldi works with Neighbourly to donate surplus food from stores throughout the year. 

Top 15 most in-demand items this Christmas 

  1. Tinned food 
  2. Festive treats 
  3. Toiletries 
  4. Tea/coffee 
  5. Biscuits and snacks 
  6. Breakfast cereals 
  7. Juices and soft drinks 
  8. UHT milk  
  9. Laundry and cleaning products 
  10. Dry packaged food 
  11. Rice and pasta 
  12. Gift items 
  13. Cooking sauces 
  14. Children’s toys, crafts and games 
  15. Sanitary items 

Aldi to stock Scotland’s most sustainable beef this Christmas

This Christmas, Aldi Scotland will be stocking what is described by farmers as ‘the meat you can feel good about’, as its range of Galloway joints hits shelves.  

The supermarket is enhancing its Christmas range with Scotch Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint (£17.99/kg), Scotch Galloway Beef Rump Joint (£9.99/kg) and the award-winning* Scotch Galloway Beef Joint wrapped in Ayrshire Streaky Bacon (£11.99, 950g), which will be available across all 102 Scottish stores from 19th December. 

Galloway cattle are renowned for the benefits they have for farmers, local communities, and the biodiversity of the natural environment. That’s in addition to being recognised by top chefs across the world for their exquisite taste and outstanding quality. 

The cattle are ‘conservation grazers’ meaning they thrive on agricultural land that face natural challenges, such as exposed high hills. As one of Scotland’s oldest native breeds, the Galloway’s knack for digesting rough grass and foraging on Scottish hillsides have set them apart for their ability to reinvigorate the landscape, creating valuable habitat that allows rich biodiversity to flourish. 

Scott McKinnon from Galloway Cattle Society said: “Scottish farmers are sitting up and taking notice of the fantastic benefits Galloway cattle can have, not only for their buying partners like Aldi who are looking for unmatched quality from their suppliers, but also the benefit these cattle have on the landscape and the wider environment.

“It’s important we all work together to make farming as sustainable as possible and explore opportunities for the agricultural sector to continue to grow and diversify as the world moves to a more circular economy model.

“It’s great to see a leading supermarket like Aldi supporting Scottish farmers and recognising the cattle for their sustainable benefits.” 

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland said: “Our relationships with our talented, local suppliers gives us a real insight into the sector and allows us to explore options which not only meet our high-standard in quality but that have benefits which exceed essential food production.

“Galloway beef is renowned across the world for its superb taste, and it has been amazing to discover what makes them so uniquely special.

“At Aldi Scotland we only stock products that we are proud of, and we look forward to offering our shoppers a meat they can feel especially good about this Christmas.” 

Scotbeef’s Scotch Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint (£17.99/kg), Scotch Galloway Beef Rump Joint (£9.99/kg) and the award-winning* Scotch Galloway Beef Joint wrapped in Ayrshire Streaky Bacon (£11.99, 950g), will all be available, while stocks last, across all Aldi Scotland’s 102 stores from 19th December 2021. 

* The Scotch Galloway Joint with Ayrshire Bacon has won Grocer own Label Award Bronze in 2021 and a Quality Food Awards Commended award in 2020. 

Aldi invests £8,000 in sports clubs across Lothians and Borders

Edinburgh’s Lismore Rugby Football Club received the highest funding available

Aldi has invested £8,000 in ten local sports clubs across the Lothians and Scottish Borders this year as part of the supermarket’s annual Scottish Sport Fund.

As part of the retailer’s wider commitment to help cultivate a healthier Scotland, the fund gives local clubs the chance to receive funding ranging from £500 to £2,500.

Lismore Rugby Football Club secured the highest funding in the region this year, receiving £2,500. The Edinburgh-based charitable organisation, which has two men’s amateur senior teams, one women’s amateur senior team and a community outreach programme, plans to use the funding to start a pilot walking rugby programme for over 50s in the local community.

A slower, non-contact version of the sport, walking rugby is particularly suited to an older audience that are looking to stay fit and active. There are currently no opportunities for individuals to engage with the sport within Edinburgh, and thanks to Aldi’s donation, Lismore Rugby Football Club are going to change this.

Other clubs that have benefitted from this year’s Scottish Sport Fund include Kelso Tennis Club and PHD FUNdamentals – a trampoline and gymnastics club, which each received £1,000.

Saltire Gymnastics, Watsonians Hockey Club, 10th West Lothian Scout Group, Boroughmuir Thistle Football Club, Dysart Sailing Club, Girlguiding Midlothian and Lochend Football Academy were also successful and received £500 each.

Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund aims to help people of all ages to take part in physical activity within their local communities by giving the clubs the opportunity to secure much needed funding.

Since launching in 2016, Aldi has invested over£50,000 and supports over 85 clubs across the Lothians and the Scottish Borders, helping to improve community access to sports across the region.

Eric Jones, Rugby Development Officer at Lismore Rugby Football Club, said: “We are really grateful that our club has received the highest funding available in such a large region. We’re just trying to do our part, keeping people of all ages active, so to be recognised for this is a big achievement for us.

“We applied because we value the mental and physical benefits of exercise and wanted to launch a walking rugby programme in the local community to encourage people to stay active.

“This funding will help us launch a year-long pilot of the programme. I can’t wait to get started!”

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “It’s brilliant that a wide variety of sports clubs across the Lothians and the Scottish Borders have been able to benefit from our Scottish Sport Fund initiative.

“It’s humbling to see how much of a difference extra funding can make to clubs like Lismore Rugby Football Club, and in supporting people across Scotland to lead an active and healthy lifestyle.”

Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund is open to any sporting organisation in Scotland that meets the criteria, from rugby clubs to after school groups, and everything in between. Groups can apply for funding for a wide range of purposes, including new strips and equipment, or for putting towards the cost of training facilities and coaching.

For more information about Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund, please visit: 

www.aldi.co.uk/scottishsportfund.

Aldi celebrates opening of it’s 100th Scottish store

£6000 OF PRIZES UP FOR GRABS

Aldi reached a huge milestone this week when it opened its 100th store in Scotland. The grand opening took place yesterday in Edinburgh’s Hermiston Gait Retail Park. 

To thank its customers for their ongoing support, the supermarket is giving out prizes worth a total of £6,000 across all its Scottish stores from 25th November. The first 1,000 customers in each Scottish store that spend £25 and over will be eligible for a scratch card, with various prizes up for grabs, including two vouchers worth £1,000 each.

Aldi opened its first Scottish store in Kilmarnock in 1994, and has since expanded operations significantly in Scotland, employing nearly 4,000 people across the country, with the plan to increase their workforce by nearly 400 by 2023. The growth doesn’t stop there as Aldi is constantly looking for new site locations and on upgrading and extending their existing stores.

Aldi Scotland is incredibly proud of their local sourcing, working with 90 Scottish suppliers and stocking over 450 Scottish products, with a target of reaching 500 within 2 years. It is this commitment to supporting local that saw Aldi crowned Scottish Sourcing Business of the Year at the 2019 Scottish Food and Drink Awards and the reason they are widely celebrated as the number one supermarket for supporting Scottish farmers and food producers.

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director Aldi Scotland said: “Reaching 100 Scottish stores is a huge achievement and one that really is a team effort. We would not be here if it wasn’t for the hard work and dedication of all our Aldi staff and I want to thank them for their continued commitment over the years.

“We could never have imagined 27 years ago when we opened our first store in Kilmarnock that our customers would take us into their hearts and homes in the way they have.” 

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director Aldi Scotland added: “We are so lucky to work with the most talented suppliers that Scotland has to offer to allow us to bring the very best of Scotland’s larder to our customers and I want to thank them for working in partnership with us so we can offer top quality, award-winning products at everyday amazing value.

“We are always looking at opportunities to expand our supplier base and are proud to say 30% of our range is now locally sourced in Scotland.”

To celebrate this milestone further, Aldi is issuing reusable plastic water bottles to all staff in order to be more sustainably responsible.  Aldi has committed to halving its plastic footprint by 2025.

Aldi is committed to helping local communities through initiatives like the Scottish Sports Fund, which has now donated nearly £300,000 to over 500 Scottish sports club since its inception in 2016 and the Neighbourly partnership, which intends to donate 10 million meals, to those who need it most, in 2021.

Aldi has also been the Proud Supermarket Partner of the Kiltwalk since 2019. 

Aldi reveals Christmas opening hours

Aldi has revealed when its stores will be open over the festive period.  

In the run-up to Christmas, Aldi are extending their opening hours, providing more time to pick up last-minute food and presents before the big day. 

Stores will also be opening until 6pm on Christmas Eve, but customers should check local store details online to avoid disappointment.  

Aldi will close its stores as usual on Christmas Day, and will once again keep all stores shut on Boxing Day as a thank you to colleagues and in recognition of their hard work throughout the year. The supermarket has always remained closed on Boxing Day, ever since opening in the UK over 30 years ago.  

The majority of stores will also be open from 8am until 8pm in between Christmas and New Year, and until 6pm on New Year’s Eve to help shoppers get everything they need to ring in 2022.  

Aldi has everything customers need to make this Christmas and New Year unforgettable, thanks to its award-winning range of delicious food and drink, and an array of gifts for all the family. Details of Aldi’s amazing Christmas range can be found 

The supermarket also offers a Click and Collect service in over 200 stores, meaning thousands of shoppers across the UK will be able to get quality Aldi groceries online at unbeatable prices in time for Christmas.

Shoppers will be able to choose from a range of grocery items online here, then drive to their local store where their shopping is brought to their car by Aldi colleagues contact-free. Pre-order slots for Christmas will be revealed soon.  

Hanna scoops £700 for foodbank at Aldi supermarket sweep in Gorgie

The winner of Aldi’s Supermarket Sweep in Edinburgh’s Gorgie store has raised an amazing £729.32 for a local foodbank, while picking up over £350 in Aldi favourites for herself.  

After a year hiatus, Aldi’s hugely popular Supermarket Sweep returned to Scotland and lucky shopper Hanna Brown, who was chosen as the winner of an in-store competition, took part in the five-minute trolley dash for charity on Friday 22nd October.   

As well as taking home a trolley full of goodies, Hanna successfully found the three Scottish products on her shopping list, so Aldi doubled the total value of her haul and donated the lump sum to her nominated foodbank, Edinburgh North East Foodbank.  

Aldi Supermarket Sweep winner, Hanna, said: “I had an amazing time at the Supermarket Sweep. The staff at Aldi were so warm and welcoming – just what I needed to help my pre-sweep nerves.

“It also helped that I had my mum cheering alongside. To have been able to support the food bank brings me so much happiness. It was a great opportunity to have had, and one which I am so very grateful for.”

Edinburgh North East Foodbank Manager, Alison Roxburgh, said: “A big thank you to all the staff at the Gorgie store and to Hanna for helping to raise such a fantastic amount of money!

“This will help to continue the much needed support we give to those in need in our community.”

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “The Aldi Supermarket Sweep is a firm favourite across the country, and we are so pleased to be able to bring it back after a year hiatus.

“Congratulations to Hanna who managed to raise an incredible £729.32 for Edinburgh North East Foodbank and take home a trolley full of Aldi goodies for herself.” 

The Supermarket Sweep was run in line with current COVID-19 guidelines and all safety precautions, including social distancing, were adhered to. 

Aldi to open 100 new UK stores over next two years

Aldi is looking for sites in all areas of Edinburgh

Aldi has announced it will open 100 new stores across the UK over the next two years – and it’s looking for new sites all over Edinburgh. 

The supermarket has pledged to invest £1.3 billion by 2023 in a bid to further grow its retail estate, as it continues to push ahead with plans to open an average of one new store a week. 

Aldi is looking for sites in all areas of Edinburgh.  

Aldi, which now has more than 920 stores across the UK, is searching for freehold town-centre or edge-of-centre sites suitable for property development.  

The supermarket says it is on the lookout for sites that are big enough to accommodate a 20,000 sq ft store and around 100 dedicated parking spaces, preferably on a prominent main road and with good visibility and access.     

Additionally, Aldi will also be investing in the development of new and expanded distribution centres. 

Richard Thornton, Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “We’re continuing to gain even more customers – with over 60% of UK households shopping with Aldi in the last year.  

“Our focus is on expanding our store estate, making sure Aldi is accessible to as many of these new shoppers across the country as possible. Looking ahead, we are excited to provide millions of new customers with access to Aldi’s award-winning quality and unbeatable value as we create even more places and more ways to shop with us.” 

The full list of locations it is targeting in Scotland are: 

  • Edinburgh – all  
  • Glasgow – Cathcart, Bishopbriggs, Darnley, Maryhill, Port Dundas/Springburn, Tannochside/Uddingston 
  • Scottish Borders – Peebles 
  • Lanarkshire – Blantyre, Stepps/Moodieburn 
  • Aberdeen – Stonehaven 
  • Inverclyde – Gourock 
  • North Ayrshire – Largs 
  • East Renfrewshire – Clarkston 
  • West Dunbartonshire – Dumbarton 
  • Stirling – Dunblane