Aldi helps provide 1,600 Easter meals in County Durham

Aldi made the donations over the Easter period as part of its wider food redistribution efforts across the UK, supporting families facing extra expenses during the school holidays.

Aldi has helped provide more than 1,600 meals to people in need across County Durham during Easter as part of its UK-wide food redistribution efforts. (Image: Daniel Graves Photography)

Luke Emery, national sustainability director at Aldi UK, said: “We know the school holidays can put real pressure on families who may already be struggling – especially when it comes to putting food on the table.

“By working with Neighbourly, we can ensure good food reaches families who need it, rather than going to waste.

“That’s food on people’s plates that might otherwise have been missed.”

The supermarket chain works in partnership with Neighbourly, a community engagement platform, to donate surplus fresh and chilled food to charities and community groups.

The scheme aims to ensure families can enjoy festive occasions, regardless of their financial situation.

Aldi’s nationwide food donation programme connects each of its UK stores with a local charity or community organisation to make use of surplus food throughout the year.

More than 710,000 meals were donated across the UK during the recent school holidays, with more than 14 organisations in County Durham alone benefiting from the scheme.

The donations contribute to Aldi’s ongoing partnership with Neighbourly, which has seen the delivery of the equivalent of more than 50 million meals since the collaboration began in 2019.

Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, said: “Aldi’s commitment means local charities and community groups can rely on regular food donations to support people in their communities.

“For many of these organisations, that consistent support is vital – helping them provide food day in, day out.”

Beyond the Neighbourly partnership, Aldi works with other organisations to redistribute surplus goods.

This includes Company Shop Group, which distributes excess food and household products from Aldi’s Regional Distribution Centres to households across the UK.

The supermarket has also expanded its work with The Bread and Butter Thing, enabling suppliers across the UK to donate products that cannot be sold in stores—such as items with packaging damage or labelling errors—but are still perfectly good to eat.

He said: “And for those who are able to, picking up an extra item to donate in store can make a real difference to local communities.”