Aldi Delivers 1.5m Meals Through Christmas Charity Drive

Aldi has helped deliver more than 1.5 million meals to people in need over the Christmas and New Year period by donating surplus food from stores across the UK.

Image courtesy of Aldi

The supermarket said it worked with local charities, community groups and food banks nationwide, redistributing a range of fresh and chilled foods after stores closed early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

The donations were coordinated through Aldi’s partnership with Neighbourly, the community giving platform that connects businesses with charitable organisations.

Luke Emery, national sustainability director at Aldi UK, said the retailer was “proud to support so many incredible charities across the UK who provide essential support to those in need,” adding that food bank services are “more important than ever in the current climate, especially over the festive period”.

Steve Butterworth, CEO at Neighbourly, said the platform was “so grateful” for Aldi’s support for another year, noting that Christmas is one of the busiest periods for charities and that the donations help reach more people across the country who need extra support.

Alongside the store redistribution programme, Aldi also worked with surplus food redistributor Company Shop Group, providing more than 2,500 free Christmas lunches to its social enterprise, Community Shop.

Aldi said shoppers can continue to donate food to local good causes via community donation points in its stores.