Former Aldi UK and Ireland MD Armin Burger has resurfaced with a new venture selling kosher foods.

His new company, Avenue 18, specialises in finding manufacturers and suppliers capable of supplying food products in ­accordance with kosher regulations. It does not produce any foods itself.

Burger told Austrian business magazine Trend his move into kosher foods had been inspired by his time at Aldi UK. “I used to live in a Jewish area in Manchester, and I could see from my friends how ­difficult it was to get a wide range of kosher products,” he said.

The name Avenue 18 was a reference to kabbalistic numerology, in which 18 was a lucky number that stood for “life” and “completeness”, Burger said. Avenue 18 had already ­secured its first deals with Israeli retailers, he added.

Avenue 18 cements Burger’s return to the grocery industry following his sudden departure from Aldi in November 2009. Earlier this year, he joined Vivatis, one of Austria’s biggest food companies, as head of its supervisory board and is now responsible for building up the company’s export business. Through his investment business Nomos, he has also recently formed a new real estate business.

Burger was in charge of Hofer, Aldi’s Austrian operations, between 1999 and 2008, before moving to ­parent company Aldi Sud’s headquarters in Germany. He became MD of Aldi’s UK and Irish operations in August 2009, taking over from Paul Foley, but left the business after just three months.

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