AC Goatham & Son has supplied Britain’s fourth largest supermarket with a variety of apples and pears since 2016 and was named Aldi’s sole supplier of British apples last year.
The 20-year deal includes the introduction of the ‘Aldi Orchard’ – a 200-acre plot on New Green Farm in Gravesend, which will grow a mix of Gala and Braeburn apples for Aldi stores across the country.
AC Goatham & Son also has plans to plant an additional 100 acres per year of apple trees exclusively for Aldi.
Confidence to invest
NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “I’m very encouraged to see Aldi committing itself to a major UK supplier and hope this is a positive direction of travel for the supply chain in the future.
“The NFU has been calling for more longer-term agreements with farmers and growers to help deliver sustainable returns and give them confidence to invest in their businesses.
“The UK horticulture sector has huge potential and the NFU’s Horticulture Growth Strategy sets out measures needed for growth and investment within the sector.”
Working towards net zero
NFU member AC Goatham & Son was founded in 1947 and is run by Clive Goatham and his son Ross. The business supplies an estimated 250 million apples and pears to Aldi stores each year.
Future plans include working with Aldi to extend the growing season with controlled atmosphere storage and working in partnership with the supermarket on its journey to net zero.
Managing Director Ross Goatham said: “This is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to the work both AC Goatham & Son and Aldi have put into the agreement to have created something truly collaborative, a first for the British top fruit sector.
“This gives us the confidence now to invest for the future and to grow more British apples and pears for Aldi, guaranteeing sustainability, viability and most importantly UK food security.”
“The UK horticulture sector has huge potential and the NFU’s Horticulture Growth Strategy sets out measures needed for growth and investment within the sector.”
NFU President Tom Bradshaw
Aldi UK Managing Director of Buying Julie Ashfield said: “This new 20-year deal represents a £750 million investment in British farming and demonstrates our long-term commitment to championing British produce.”
Mr Bradshaw urged the next Government to drive forward recent commitments to legislate improvements within contractual relationships “and in doing so, the NFU welcomes the support of all retailers to back British farming”.