Aldi does €1 million worth of business with Laois supplier

Evidence that the Abbeyleix-based award-winning company Abbey Farm Foods is reaping significant revenue from years of hard work is revealed in a new report from the supermarket chain Aldi.

The German retailer has announced details of its contribution locally and nationally in the annual Aldi Economic Impact Report  published on June 25.

The company says the report highlights benefits to Laois’ economy and the impact of its charity partnerships across the county. The company says it paid almost €1.6 million in wages and salaries in Laois last year and there were over 880,000 customer visits to Aldi stores in Laois in 2023. 

On the supplier side investment, Aldi says it sourced almost €1 million of local produce from Laois-based supplier, Abbey Farm Foods. It said it allowed the local company to stock their produce on the shelves of one of Ireland’s leading retailers.

Helen Gee is the driving force and founder behind Abbey Farm Foods which has built a big local company around the G’s Jams brand from her home in Abbeyleix.

Aldi says it also supported multiple charities across Laois. Over 34,600 meals from Laois stories were donated through FoodCloud to local charities.

Each store is also part of Aldi’s Community Grants network, with Laois Young Carers Group and The Ken Spollen Food Appeal in Portarlington some of the many local charities that benefitted from the programme in 2023.

In addition to donating to local charities, Aldi said also supports local communities through its tree planting initiative, with a commitment to planting 1 million native Irish woodland trees across Ireland by 2025.

Aldi says its Economic Impact Report outlines its contribution to the national and local economy, including investment in its product offering, its team and the communities the retailer serves.

In 2023, Aldi says it sourced €1.1 billion of locally produced food and drinks from Irish suppliers. In total, ALDI partnered with over 330 Irish producers throughout the year.

Commenting Colin Breslin, is the Managing Director of Buying & Services with Aldi Ireland.

“ALDI is committed to making a positive impact across the country. We continue to make a significant contribution in every local community that we serve and are proud to be a leading contributor to Laois’ economy.

“As the ALDI network continues to expand across Ireland, opening six new stores in 2023, we take pride in the work we do alongside our local suppliers to bring high quality and affordable products to our customers. We remain committed to being the best value supermarket in Ireland.

“ALDI remains acutely conscious of the economic challenges that our suppliers have endured in the past year. This is why we continue to invest in valued partnerships that allow both our suppliers and our team to grow. In 2023, we spent almost €1 million sourcing local produce from Laois. We are delighted to continue working with Laois suppliers and expanding our Laois based community in the upcoming year,” he said.

There are three Aldi stories in Laois with 47 staff employed in the county in Portlaoise, Portarlington and Graiguecullen. It says it has made a €34 million capital investment in Laois.