Aldi have purchased around nine million extra strawberries off suppliers following a surfeit crop threatened to swamp farmers.
The discount retailer took on an additional 112 tonnes of British harvest, in a decision they said was made to “support British growers facing a glut due to later than usual start to the season”.
The supermarket will sell larger punnets at £2.95 per kg across its stores in Wales, Scotland and the north of England, with the berries set to hit the shelves today.
The additional orders helped take the pressure off four of the supermarket’s growers facing a surplus of stock, as well as helping tackle food waste.
Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK said: “The recent warm weather has led to our growers needing to harvest a vast amount of their crop much later than usual. We always try to find ways to support them in times like this, while at the same time reducing unnecessary food waste.
“British strawberries are also typically brighter in colour and tastier compared with imported varieties, meaning our customers can enjoy more of the fruit at the best time of the year.”
The move is another signal of Aldi’s intent to work with suppliers, after they also purchased 700,000 surplus potatoes off Puffin Produce last week.
The company recently won Fresh Produce Business of the Year at this week’s FPC Fresh Awards, and was the first supermarket to sign up to the NFU’s Fruit and Veg pledge.
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