Aldi has announced plans to increase the amount of food and drink it buys from British suppliers over the next five years by £3.5bn as it continues its rapid expansion across the UK.

The company is investing £500m in new and upgraded stores, distribution centres and its supply chain in 2021, which will create over 4,000 jobs as well as new opportunities for British food and drink producers.

The pledge from Aldi will help hundreds of British businesses continue to grow with the supermarket and invest for the future.

One example is cheese producer South Caernarfon Creameries, Wales’ oldest and largest dairy co-operative, whose ongoing partnership with Aldi began in 2011.

The partnership has enjoyed significant growth over the years, leading to expansion of the workforce to 160 members of staff. It has also helped to improve the co-operative’s current business capabilities.

Nick Beadman, the Commercial Manager at South Caernarfon Creameries, said:

“Aldi is a key partner for us, and it’s fantastic that they share our values when it comes to fairness for our producers, the welfare of our animals and the quality of our produce. We’re looking to expand even further over the next few years with their support.”

Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer at Aldi UK, said:

“We are expecting significant sales growth in 2021 as we open new stores and bring Aldi to more locations across the UK. With the vast majority of our grocery products now coming from British suppliers, our growth will lead to additional jobs and investment in our UK supply chain.”

Aldi has also confirmed that the immediate payment terms for small suppliers it introduced at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic will be extended until the end of 2021.

The commitment means that the supermarket will continue to process payments for suppliers with an annual turnover of less than £1m with Aldi as soon as they are submitted.

The move will benefit more than 1,000 small British businesses in the supermarket’s supply chain.