UK’s biggest automated warehouse begins first fruit and veg deliveries, as retailer pushes ahead with £1.6bn investment
The UK’s largest automated warehouse, Aldi UK’s Bardon Distribution Centre in Leicestershire, has begun handling fresh fruit and vegetables following its official opening in May.
The first pallets of produce, including ginger and avocados, were delivered to the site on Wednesday 16 September, the retailer confirmed this week, with the first outbound pallet the following day.
Aldi has spent more than £500mn on the site, which forms part of a total £1.6bn investment earmarked for the UK in 2026 and 2027.
“The start of fresh produce operations at Bardon is a proud moment for everyone involved in this project and marks a step change in how we serve our customers,” says Jonathan Heaton, regional managing director for Bardon at Aldi UK.
“Fresh produce is a vital part of our customers’ shopping, yet it presents one of the most complex challenges in grocery logistics, with products needing to move quickly and efficiently from suppliers to stores to maintain freshness.”
Precision and care
Aldi has partnered with Cimcorp to install the latest automated technology, which it uses to maintain the different temperatures required to protect freshness and shelf-life in products like salads, bananas, and berries.
“Fresh food logistics present unique operational challenges that require specialised technology and expertise,” says Mikko Kumpulainen, system planning development manager and key account manager at Cimcorp.
“This distribution centre demonstrates how intelligent automation can manage high volumes while maintaining the flexibility needed for a complex grocery environment.”
He adds: “Our automation allows Aldi to respond more effectively to changing demand patterns while supporting long-term growth. Ultimately, the goal is simple: ensuring high-quality fresh products are available for consumers whenever they visit their local store.”
The fresh produce operation at Bardon spans three dedicated temperature-controlled areas, with chilled storage for products like apples and carrots, and a specialist banana room.
In the chilled chamber, pallets are moved into high-bay racking until they’re needed to go to stores, then automated shuttles call them down for dispatch.
And according to the retailer, the Bardon facility also has the lowest carbon density of any warehouse across the Aldi South Group, with 19,000 solar panels installed on its roof.
“The technology we’ve implemented with Cimcorp allows us to handle enormous volumes while maintaining the precision and care that fresh products demand,” Heaton adds.
Once fully operational in 2027, it is expected that more than 1,500 tonnes of fruit and vegetables will move through the 1.3mn square foot site every day during peak periods.
And more than 6,000 pallets of fresh produce could eventually depart every day, bound for stores across the UK.
Price-driven
Aldi’s investment also adds capacity to the supermarket’s distribution network as it works towards a long-term ambition of operating 1,500 stores in the UK.
“This investment is about more than efficiency,” Heaton explains. “By reducing the cost of moving products from our suppliers to our stores, we can continue to deliver the lowest prices on the market while ensuring customers always find fresh, high-quality fruit and vegetables on our shelves.
“As operations build over the coming weeks, Bardon will play an increasingly important role in Aldi’s supply chain, supporting our continued growth across the UK.”
Now reckoned to be the UK’s third-biggest fresh produce retailer, Aldi says it sells an average of 2.2bn fruit and vegetables every year, including over 300mn bananas, 80mn apples, and 160mn potatoes.
In July 2026 alone, it notes, it sold 2,250 tonnes of British apples – making it the biggest customer of domestic apple growers.
The retailer also has a target to increase the number of portions of fruit and veg sold by 14 per cent by the end of 2027.
