Aldi has agreed to purchase 700,000 potatoes from a UK supplier that was left with a glut following a bumper crop.
Puffin Produce will offload the King Edward spuds to Aldi stores throughout Wales in an agreement symbolic of a healthier relationship between retailers and suppliers.
The German discounter will prevent the potatoes going waste by moving the stock into its Welsh regional distribution centres and by selling the additional Welsh King Edward Potatoes at £1.39 per kilo in order to increase volume sales.
Huw Thomas, managing director at Puffin Produce, said: “It’s fantastic to work in partnership with Aldi to make the most of this opportunity. It demonstrates the benefit of a truly integrated and sustainable supply chain, which can help farmers sell their excess stocks and at the same time present our Welsh customers with a top-quality product.”
Richard Smith, produce buying director at Aldi, added: “We are always looking for opportunities to support our growing partners and help them shift surplus stock and tackle food waste. Reducing waste across the UK is a fundamental commitment for us.”
Puffin Produce has worked with Aldi since July 2017, when it began offering Welsh-grown potatoes throughout the country.
The supermarket’s potato sales in Wales increased by a third in the first six months of the relationship. The company works alongside Aldi and other retailers we are also part of the Courtauld Commitment, working to reduce food waste within the food industry by 20 per cent by 2020.
