supermarkets – Page 20 – The NEN

ALFRES-GO!

MORRISONS launches new picnic boxes for outdoor meet-ups

– The new Family Picnic and Luxury Ploughmans Food Boxes are launching just in time for groups of six to meet outdoors –

– Morrisons also offers an Adult Picnic Platter for Two, available to collect from store –

– The new limited-edition food boxes are available to order online now, and the price includes next day delivery –

As lockdown restrictions begin to ease and sunnier days are ahead, Morrisons has launched two new food boxes and a platter that are perfect for picnics with family and friends.

The Family Picnic Food Box features everything you need to whip up a stellar picnic in no time; from sandwiches, to snacks and drinks. Featuring items such as Morrisons Pork Cocktail Sausages, Morrisons Classic Hummus, Morrisons Brownie Bite Tub and Morrisons Royal Gala Apples, the box includes options for adults and kids alike.

The Luxury Ploughmans Food Box is perfect for a romantic date during the day or an outdoor birthday celebration, with delicious snacks and treats. The box features the likes of The Best Nocerella Olives, Morrisons The Best Marc de Champagne Truffles and The Best Sicilian Lemonade. Customers also have the option to upgrade to include Prosecco or Champagne.

The Family Picnic Food Box is priced at £26 and the Luxury Ploughmans Box at £30 (£35 with Prosecco or £45 with Champagne). Both prices include next day or nominated day delivery.

Finally, Morrisons is also selling an Adult Picnic Platter for Two for just £10. The platter can be pre-ordered and collected from stores across the country and includes hand-prepared scones, quiche lorraine, cherry bakewell and more.

Aidan Buckley, Food Box, Eat Fresh & Food to Order Director at Morrisons said: “We know our customers will be excited to get out into the sun and meet up with friends and family that they haven’t been able to see during lockdown.

“Whether planning a classic picnic or a luxury spread, these two new food boxes offer something for everyone to share and enjoy in the park or back garden.”

Morrisons limited-edition Family Picnic Food Box is available now on the Morrisons food boxes website https://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/box/Family-Picnic-Box

Morrisons limited-edition Luxury Ploughmans Food Box is available now on the Morrisons food boxes website https://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/box/The-Luxury-Ploughman-s-Picnic-Box

Morrisons limited-edition Adult Picnic Platter for Two is available now to order on the Morrisons Food to Order website then pick up in store:

https://my.morrisons.com/foodtoorder/product/morrisons-adult-picnic-platter-for-two/111291672

For more information on Morrisons Food Boxes range visit

www.morrisons.com/food-boxes

IT’S AN EGGSTRAVAGANZA! Morrisons launches limited edition food box packed with Easter treats

– Includes an Easter Egg Hunt Kit, Chick & Bunny Marshmallows, Milk Chocolate Micro Eggs, ingredients for making cornflakes cakes and more –

– The new limited-edition food box is available to order online now, and the price includes next day delivery –

Calling all chocoholics! Morrisons has launched a new Easter Treat Box to help customers hop into the spirit of the spring celebration.

Priced at £22 including next day or nominated day delivery, the limited-edition box has everything customers need to celebrate Easter at home with the kids or makes the perfect surprise gift for a loved one.

It includes an Easter egg hunt kit, additional solid milk chocolate eggs, a classic milk chocolate bunny and even Easter chick themed bags for hours of happy hunting entertainment.

For those who like to get creative in the kitchen, Morrisons Easter Treat Box also contains all the ingredients to make classic Chocolate Easter Nests including cornflakes, milk cooking chocolate, pastel fairy paper cases and chick & bunny-shaped marshmallows or milk chocolate micro eggs for toppings.

Aidan Buckley, Food Boxes and Eat Fresh Director at Morrisons said: “Whether our customers are celebrating at home with family or sending gifts to loved ones, we created the Easter Treat Box to make it even easier for everyone to enjoy the spring festivities, and all delivered, hassle-free, right to their doorstep.”

Morrisons limited-edition Easter Treat Box is available now on the Morrisons food boxes website https://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/box/easter-treat-box.

Morrisons has also teamed up with Dr Oetker to create an Easter Baking Box for £23 – https://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/box/easter-baking-box.

Delivery by courier is included in the price shown and customers can order boxes until 2nd April.

For more information on Morrisons Food Boxes range visit

www.morrisons.com/food-boxes

Aldi’s Millions Iron Brew Jelly Babies back By popular demand

The popular flavoured jellies are returning to Aldi’s 96 Scottish stores as part of store’s everyday range

Following a Specialbuy sell-out in January, Millions Iron Brew Jelly Babies have returned to Aldi stores across Scotland as they go on sale as part of their everyday range.

Developed by Greenock-based confectionary producer, Golden Casket, the Millions Iron Brew Jelly Babies (99p, 200g) were originally launched as part of Aldi’s Next Top Product competition. The unique product brings Scotland’s best loved flavour to the market in an exciting new format.

The 2020 Aldi’s Next Top Product competition, which ran in partnership with Scotland Food & Drink, saw the supermarket launch a variety of new products in 2021 from eight local Scottish suppliers including Fife-based Growers Garden, Kilmarnock’s Nudie Snacks, and Arbroath drinks company, Bon Accord.

Sandra Fisher, Sales and Marketing Director, Golden Casket, said: “Aldi’s Next Top Product search has given our Millions Iron Brew Jelly Babies fantastic exposure and we’re so pleased how well they were received by customers.

“To sell out in less than a month after launching in January was just brilliant, and we are thrilled that the product has returned within Aldi’s everyday range and will again be available across all Aldi Scottish stores.”

Aldi currently works with over 90 Scottish suppliers, and after reaching their initial goal of stocking over 450 Scottish products by the end of 2020, the supermarket has now increased this target to stock over 500 locally sourced products in the next two years.

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “The search for Aldi’s Next Top Product was an opportunity to uncover fresh talent and hidden gems in Scotland’s thriving food and drink sector.

“When we sampled the Millions Iron Brew Jelly Babies as part of the judging process, we all thought that they would prove a hit with customers, and I’m pleased that we can bring back the product for our customers to enjoy.”

Millions Iron Brew Jelly Babies will be available from all 96 Scottish stores from Saturday (26 March).

You can find your nearest Aldi store here.

The Real Deal! Morrisons launches Surf & Turf

THE ONLY PRODUCT OF ITS KIND ON UK SUPERMARKET SHELVES

Sirloin Steak and Black Tiger Prawns for £7.00 or £12 for two

Morrisons is launching a new Surf & Turf pack, perfect for luxury dinners at home or grilling up on the BBQ.

Featuring a British Sirloin steak and four black tiger prawns, the pack is the only one of its kind currently available in UK supermarkets and is priced at just £7.00, or two for £12 – customers will have to be quick though as the packs will be limited.

While restaurants remain closed, Morrisons Surf & Turf is the perfect option for customers looking to upgrade weekend dinners in. Alternatively, with the weather warming up and days getting longer, the new launch offers the perfect excuse to dust off the BBQ, fire up the coals and tuck in alfresco.

Those going down the outdoor route can pick up disposable BBQs from Morrisons; choose from a small disposable BBQ for £2.50 or a party disposable BBQ at £5.50, both available in stores and online.

Josh Brockbank, Beef Buyer at Morrisons said: “We always aim to offer customers the best produce at great prices, and there’s no better example than this affordable deal for high-quality steak and seafood.

“With BBQ season round the corner we hope people will be enjoying this both in, and outdoors with family.”

The Surf & Turf pack will be available in stores and online from the 15^th March, priced at £7.00 or two for £12.

CHEERS! Grab 15 cans of Guinness for less than a tenner at Morrisons ahead of St. Patrick’s Day

– Works out at just 66p a can, saving customers over £6! –

– Offer available in store now meaning customers can take advantage for St Patrick’s Day –

Morrisons are helping Guinness fans to party like the Irish, from the comfort of their own living rooms, this St Patrick’s Day with customers able to get their hands on 15 cans of the Irish national tipple of choice for just £9.99.

The famous stout – best served cold – works out at just 66p a can, and saves customers more than £6 off the RRP.

St Patrick’s Day (17 March) takes place just three days before a battle of the titans in the 6-Nations Cup, with Ireland taking on England on home turf which is sure to be an explosive clash.

Customers will need to be quick to bag this deal – which is the cheapest available in the UK supermarkets as the deal is running from the 11th until 21st March, in-store while stocks last*.

Callum Keaney, Senior Buying Manager at Morrisons said: “With St Patrick’s Day just around the corner and a massive showdown coming up between Scotland and Ireland in the 6-Nations tomorrow there’s no better way to celebrate than with an ice-cold Guinness.

“We’ll still be raising a glass at home so we’re pleased to be offering our customers the best price out there!”

Aldi named UK’s top in-store supermarket in Which? survey

Aldi has been named the UK’s favourite in-store supermarket in Which?’s annual satisfaction survey, while Ocado slipped down the online grocery rankings after shoppers struggled to secure delivery slots during the coronavirus pandemic.

The consumer champion surveyed more than 3,000 members of the public about their experience with supermarkets, asking customers to rate their shopping experience in a range of categories such as in-store appearance and layout, quality of produce, availability of online delivery slots and value for money.

German discounter Aldi emerged as the top in-store supermarket in the UK after receiving a five-star rating for value for money – the only supermarket to achieve this in the survey – and a 73 per cent customer score.

While Aldi received mediocre ratings across all other categories, including two stars for store layout and three stars for the quality of its own-label products and fresh food, price was the most important consideration for customers when choosing where to shop.

In 2020, Aldi was the cheapest supermarket to shop in six of the eight months it was included in Which?’s monthly supermarket price analysis.

In this year’s online supermarket survey, Ocado fell to joint-fifth place alongside Waitrose and Morrisons. It struggled to meet demand when the pandemic hit and was ultimately forced to close its website and app – the latter for several months. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it received just two-star ratings for the availability of delivery slots.

It also received two-stars for value for money, reflecting its regular appearance as the second-most expensive supermarket after Waitrose in our monthly analysis.

One Ocado customer told Which?: “During [the first] lockdown I really struggled to get delivery slots, despite being officially classified as vulnerable and having a monthly delivery pass.”

Sainsbury’s was the highest-scoring online supermarket with an overall customer score of 71 per cent and a four-star rating for the availability of delivery slots.

It was also named a Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) for its online service. The company’s high standards for food hygiene and clear nutritional labelling on its own-brand products also contributed to the decision to name it a WRP.

M&S came second in the in-store supermarkets table after receiving a five-star rating for the appearance and layout of its stores and the quality of its own-label and fresh products.

In joint-third place were Lidl, Tesco and Waitrose. Much like its rival Aldi, Lidl performed well when it came to value for money, achieving four-star ratings, but it failed to impress customers in other categories.

Despite receiving five stars for store layout and food quality, Waitrose was let down by its two-star rating for value for money.

Co-op finished bottom of the in-store shopping table as it failed to impress customers in key categories. It received just one-star for value for money, and two-stars for its store layout and food quality.

Harry Rose, Which? Magazine Editor, said: “Many households have felt the pinch during the pandemic, and value for money was the most important factor when shopping in-store in our annual supermarket survey – which explains why Aldi came out on top.

“Online supermarkets have also been a lifeline for many people during the pandemic, and while Sainsbury’s rose to the challenge by massively increasing its delivery capacity, Ocado’s reputation took a hit after the scale of demand meant it stopped accepting new customers and shut down its app at the height of lockdown.”

Two new stores: Aldi to invest over £6.7m in Lothians as part of continued expansion

Aldi, the UK’s lowest priced supermarket, is to invest more than £6.7 million in two new stores in Edinburgh and Midlothian this year, creating 42 jobs.

The supermarket will open a new store at Hermiston Gait in Edinburgh and Thornybank Industrial Estate in Dalkeith before the end of the year.

Aldi continues to lead the way on championing great quality Scottish produce with twenty five percent of its range now locally sourced in Scotland. The supermarket now has 96 stores throughout Scotland and is set to reach its 100^th store milestone by the end of the year. This investment is part of the supermarket’s long-term target to reach 1,200 stores in the UK by 2025.

Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer, Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “With shoppers increasingly looking to make sure they get unbeatable prices on their weekly shop without compromising on quality, our stores are becoming ever more popular.

“This investment in Aldi stores over the course of this year will help make the UK’s lowest-priced supermarket more accessible to even more people, and bring us closer to our long-term goal of having 1,200 stores across the UK by 2025.”

“We have been investing in Britain for more than 30 years now, but we know that there are still areas that either don’t have an Aldi at all, or that need another store to meet customer demand.

Last summer, Aldi announced it was looking for new store locations in 19 towns and cities across Scotland – including Stonehaven, Castle Douglas, and Peebles – as part of its longer-term expansion plans.

Aldi has recently increased its minimum hourly rates, paying a minimum hourly rate of £9.55 nationally, up from £9.40. Store colleagues will now be able to earn up to £10.57 after three years nationally and £11.32 after two years in London. The new rates of pay are also boosted by the fact Aldi is still one of the only UK supermarkets to pay for breaks taken during shifts, which means Aldi colleagues remain the best-paid in the sector.

The supermarket, which opened new stores in Livingston and Stewarton during 2020, has also announced plans to increase the amount of food and drink it buys from British suppliers by £3.5bn a year by 2025, as it continues its rapid expansion across the UK.

Aldi is widely recognised as the biggest supporter of local suppliers and has already put plans in place to expand its Scottish range to hit 500 locally sourced product lines in the next two years.

Aldi is also 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.

Scotmid’s Snappy Shopper service: swift delivery in response to second lockdown

Use of Snappy Shopper increased 43% during previous Tier 4 lockdown

Shoppers are turning to convenience stores to plug gaps in their shopping deliveries during lockdown, according to a Scottish national retailer.

Scotmid has seen a 43% increase in orders using its Snappy Shopper service during the first lockdown and has been working hard to respond to the continued growth in demand for the service at a time when full lockdown restrictions are back in place.

The rise in use of the Snappy Shopper service – which delivers to customers from as little as 30 minutes – comes at a time when consumers are increasingly switching their shopping habits from in store to online – and finding delivery slots from the bigger supermarkets have been booked up sometimes weeks in advance.

Since launching online delivery through the Snappy Shopper app in Edinburgh last year, the service has benefited many individuals during the COVID-19 crisis, including those considered high-risk and having to shield.

Kevin Plant, Head of Food at Scotmid said: “With competition for online shopping slots fierce, Snappy Shopper is filling a much-needed gap for many residents in Edinburgh.

“Feedback from the community has shown us how important this service is – especially for people who are shielding – and we’re pleased to expand our service in the community, especially as Tier 4 restrictions are taking hold.”

The first delivery for every customer is free when they sign up on the app*, with subsequent deliveries in Edinburgh costing just £3.50.

There is a £10 minimum basket spend with a limit of 25 products per delivery.** Deliveries are available to order between 10am and 8pm, with the last delivery at 9pm.

Morrisons announce more support for food banks

Morrisons has announced it will set aside a further £5 million of food supplies to help keep the nation’s food banks stocked up this year.

Last year, Morrisons led the charge to restock Britain’s food banks, who found themselves struggling with unprecedented demand for their services. Through Morrisons network of Community Champions, £10 million of stock was delivered direct to food banks across the UK.

As the UK’s largest fresh foodmaker, Morrisons ran its bakery, egg and fruit & veg packing site for an extra hour every day to make, prepare and pack food required to restock the food banks – with over 2 million eggs and over 300,000 loaves of bread distributed through Morrisons own manufacturing sites.

Morrisons also focused on the essential products food banks were calling out for supplying 1 million packets of pasta, 1.5 million litres of long life milk and over 800,000 tins of beans to those in need. Other treats to help bring joy to families included 1 million Easter Eggs and 50,000 packs of McVities Victoria Biscuits through an innovative buy one, donate one campaign in November.

Food was then distributed locally through Morrisons network of local heroes – the community champions – who work closely with food banks on the ground to ensure they’re getting the vital stock that they need.

Food banks continue to play a vital role in the pandemic for many of the most vulnerable people in communities, with research by the Trussell Trust forecasting a 61% increase in food parcels needed across its UK Network this winter – and six emergency food parcels given out every minute.

The £5 million donation by Morrisons will continue to distribute food to those most in need this year.

Morrisons Chief Executive, David Potts said: “As food banks continue to face the extremely challenging times they find themselves in, it is only right that we continue to play our full part at Morrisons in feeding the nation.

“As a business our priority remains to be kind and support those in society who find themselves struggling through this very difficult time; all of us working together means no-one need be left behind”.

Morrisons customers have also played their part throughout the pandemic, contributing over £180,000 to the Trussell Trust through Morrisons.com and donating hundreds of thousands of products in store through the Morrisons Pick Up Packs.

A scheme where customers can select a small paper bag filled with a number of items needed specifically by their local food bank labelled with a price at the front of store, pay for the items and drop off their bag on their way out.

Pay boost for Aldi staff

New minimum hourly rates for Store Assistants of £9.55 nationally, rising to £10.57
All Scottish store colleagues to receive hourly pay increases
New minimum hourly pay exceeds the Living Wage Foundation’s latest recommended pay rates
Aldi is one of the only supermarkets to offer paid breaks, which means its colleagues remain the best-paid in the sector
Aldi is recruiting for 335 new store colleagues in Scotland in 2021

Aldi has recognised the amazing contribution of its store colleagues by giving them a New Year’s pay rise and increasing its minimum hourly rates from 1 February 2021.

All of Aldi’s 1,500 Scottish Store Assistant colleagues will benefit from the pay rise, with Aldi paying a minimum hourly rate of £9.55, up from £9.40.

The new rates of pay are also boosted by the fact Aldi is still one of the only UK supermarkets to pay for breaks taken during shifts, which means Aldi colleagues remain the best-paid in the sector. When paid breaks are included, Aldi’s minimum hourly pay rate for store colleagues, based on an average six-hour shift, will be £10.11*.

These changes mean that Aldi store colleagues across Scotland will earn a minimum of £0.83 more per hour than the current National Living Wage.

The pay rise follows bonuses that were awarded to store colleagues in April and December 2020, in recognition of their efforts throughout the pandemic.

Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer, Aldi UK and Ireland said: “I want to express my sincere thanks to every single Aldi colleague, who stepped up when it mattered and helped us succeed in our most important mission of all – feeding the nation.

“That is down to our people. Their outstanding efforts have ensured that our customers continue to have access to fresh affordable food, every single day. It has never been more important to ensure that our colleagues are rewarded fully for their immense contribution during a challenging period for everyone.”

This year will see Aldi open its 100^th Scottish store in Scotland. Currently, the retailer has 96 Scottish stores stocking some of the finest and best value locally sourced food and drink.

This year it will invest a further £20 million in four new stores, which include Hermiston Gait in Edinburgh, Thornybank Industrial Estate in Dalkeith, Portlethen Retail Park in Aberdeen and J24 Retail Park in Govan, while a new store in Gateside Commerce Park, Haddington will open to replace the existing store.

To support this growth, Aldi is recruiting 335 store-level positions in Scotland this year. For the latest vacancies, please visit https://www.aldirecruitment.co.uk/.