Aldi invests £45m into British seafood

According to the retailer, the investment cemented its commitment to championing ‘Great British quality’ and supporting more UK suppliers.

One such supplier was Scotland-based Thistle, which has been supplying the supermarket for more than 20 years with coated fish, fish cakes and its Specially Selected frozen cod and haddock.

British-sourced

The investment has seen Aldi continue to expand its British-sourced fish offering with 20 new products launched in 2024 so far, including its British Pollock, Chunky Breaded Cod and Haddock.

Aldi UK managing director of buying Julie Ashfield said: “At Aldi, we are incredibly proud of the long-standing relationships we have with British fisheries across the country. This increased investment demonstrates our commitment to these partnerships and our dedication to providing our customers with high-quality, sustainably sourced British fish.”​

As part of its commitment to British seafood, Aldi works with the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) to drive continuous improvement of fisheries. The discounter uses certification programmes – such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council – to ensure products are sourced responsibly.

Certified fish and seafood

In 2023, Aldi was also crowned the MSC UK Mid-size Store Retailer of the Year for increasing its number of MSC certified fish and seafood products.

Aldi’s support for the UK seafood industry followed plans to invest £550m in expanding and further improving its store and distribution network​​ throughout 2024.

The retailer said that the new stores due to open this year would create more than 1,500 new jobs, while the improvement project will lead to roles opening up at its current stores, distribution centres and offices.

Meanwhile, discount retailer Lidl is to invest £500m in British pork​​ in a bid to address sector-wide challenges and improve margins for farmers.