Aldi Growth Drives GBP1.65m Investment At Yorkshire Potato Supplier

Family-owned Cockerill is investing in automation, productivity and regenerative farming after the volume of potatoes it supplies to Aldi more than doubled in three years.

A long-standing partnership with Aldi has given Yorkshire potato supplier Cockerill the confidence to invest GBP1.65 million in new technology and future growth.

The family-owned business, based just outside York, has supplied Aldi since the supermarket first entered the UK market. It now provides the retailer with a wide range of British potatoes across both packaged and loose lines.

Cockerill supplies more than 16 million loose baking potatoes to Aldi each year, alongside traditional favourites such as Maris Piper and other fresh potato varieties sold in 1kg and 2.5kg packs.

The relationship has expanded significantly, with the volume of potatoes supplied by Cockerill to Aldi more than doubling since 2023.

That sustained increase has enabled the supplier to invest in its workforce, technology and farming operations as it prepares to provide British potatoes to more customers across the country.

The GBP1.65 million technology investment will support greater automation and improved productivity across the business. Cockerill is also increasing its commitment to regenerative farming, including the use of cover crops.

Further initiatives are under way to reduce waste both in the field and throughout the company's packing operations, combining production growth with efforts to improve resource efficiency.

Joanne Forster, account manager at Cockerill, said: "We've been supplying Aldi since it first launched in the UK, and it's been fantastic to grow alongside the business."

She added that the family business was proud to supply British potatoes to millions of Aldi customers and looked forward to reaching even more shoppers as the partnership developed.

Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, welcomed the supplier's continued investment, describing Cockerill as a family business that has grown quality British produce for generations.

She said it was rewarding to see the company investing in its local community as its relationship with Aldi continued to strengthen.

The announcement demonstrates how sustained retailer demand can provide fresh produce suppliers with the confidence to invest in automation, farming operations and more regenerative production methods.

For the British potato sector, the expansion represents a significant commitment to domestic supply at a time when growers are managing rising production costs, unpredictable weather and increasing pressure to improve efficiency.