Bakery set to keep on growing as connection with Aldi continues
GEARY’S LONG CONTRACT WITH GIANT
A Loughborough bakery is set for further growth after one of its main customers announced record investment plans.
Aldi has pledged to invest £1.3 billion over the next two years to accelerate its rapid expansion across the UK, after it delivered record sales of £13.5 billion in 2020.
The plans will see the supermarket business, which has its UK headquarters in Atherstone, Warwickshire, open 100 new stores and develop new and expanded distribution centres by 2023, creating thousands of additional jobs.
Aldi has announced it is in the market for 12 new store locations in Leicestershire alone as part of an expansion that will also see a 1.3 million sq ft warehousing and office complex built at the former Nailstone Colliery site in the north west of the county.
The national distribution centre, between Coalville and Market Bosworth, could create up to 750 jobs, which Aldi said would include management roles, office assistants, warehouse operatives, engineers, drivers and more.
Nationally, Aldi is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs next year and 100 new shops across the next two years.
The expansion will also create new opportunities for British suppliers such as Geary’s as they continue to grow and improve with the supermarket.
The Loughborough-based bakery first began a partnership with Aldi back in 2005, supplying the supermarket with freshlybaked bread rolls, sourdough loaves and bloomers.
The partnership has enjoyed significant growth over the years, with the family-owned business doubling the number of people it employs in the area and opening a new site in 2017 to meet the growing demand.
Geary’s managing director Jason Geary said: “Our longterm contract with Aldi has not only seen us grow beyond recognition, but it also keeps providing us with the stability to innovate.
“From launching new products to introducing more sustainable packaging solutions, we are always working collaboratively to deliver the best quality products for Aldi customers.”
Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “Despite 2020 being an extremely challenging year, we continued to gain even more customers, with more than 60 per cent of households shopping with Aldi in the last year.
“As a result, we are excited to announce further investment plans, which will not only provide millions of new customers with access to Aldi’s award-winning quality and unbeatable value, but will also lead to additional jobs and investment for our supplier partners.”
Aldi, which sources its entire core range of fresh meat, eggs, milk, butter and cream from British suppliers, said it spent an extra £1 billion with British companies last year, taking its total to £9 billion, reaffirming its commitment to buy British wherever possible. Earlier this year, Aldi also committed to spending an additional £3.5 billion a year with British suppliers by 2025.
The pledge will help hundreds of British businesses like Geary’s continue to grow with the supermarket and invest for the future.