Aldi said it will deliver “more British apples than ever” as its partnership with AC Goatham & Son bears fruit.
The retailer has sold around 30,000 tonnes of British apples over the past year, equivalent to one in five of all apples sold in the UK.
It said it now expects to sell more crop in 2026, reaching 32,000 tonnes over the next 12 months.
The 2024/25 season was the first year under Aldi’s 20-year sole partnership deal with AC Goatham & Son worth £750m of investment.
“This season has been one of the strongest we’ve seen in recent years, thanks to near-perfect growing conditions and continued investment across our orchards,” said Ross Goatham, chief commercial officer at AC Goatham & Son. “Our long-term partnership with Aldi has given us the confidence to keep planting, modernising and investing in technology – ensuring we can supply even more British apples for even more of the year.”
The deal between Aldi and AC Goatham, announced in May 2024, promised to deliver vital support for British farmers – assuring them of supply and giving them security.
The supermarket now hopes the partnership will enable it to deliver home-grown apples all year round.
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“This summer has been excellent for growing apples and, thanks to our near-two-decade partnership with AC Goatham & Son, we’re seeing the benefits of sustained investment in British produce,” said Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi.
“That long-term confidence means it’s our ambition to stock British apples all year long, and we hope to achieve this for the 2025/26 season with the support of AC Goatham.”
It comes as data from British Apples & Pears revealed the discounters were leading in sales of British apples and summer fruit this year, with Aldi selling 3,809 tonnes of British apples in the first two months of the 2025/26 season and accounting for 20% of the total sold.
The grower group said discount retailers were “significantly overtrading” on British apples compared with their share of the grocery market.
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