Aldi has picked up the ‘Best for Scottish Sourcing’ Award at the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards. This is the fourth time in five years the retailer has received this recognition.
The awards, which took place last Thursday in Glasgow, celebrate the best of the country’s food and drink sector.
Aldi saw off competition from Scotmid Co-operative to take home the ‘Best for Scottish Sourcing’ Award for the second year running. The accolade pays homage to businesses which place Scottish sourcing at the heart of consumer experience, promote Scottish provenance and recognise the value of strong relationships with suppliers.
Earlier this year, the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) revealed that Aldi was the top supermarket in Scotland when it comes to stocking the most Scottish produce, with results revealing that almost 49% of the retailer’s produce was Scottish.
Aldi’s Scottish Buying Department was established in 2009, and the discounter now stocks more than 450 Scottish products from over 90 Scottish suppliers.
Aldi also picked up the ‘Confectionery Product of the Year’ Award for its Specially Selected Scottish Sicilian Lemon Shortbread Rounds (£1.59, 160g) for the second year in a row.
The retailer’s Specially Selected 40-Day Matured Aberdeen Angus Ribeye Steak (£6.79, 227g) was also awarded Scotch Brand Product of the Year.
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “We’re immensely proud to once again be recognised as ‘Best for Scottish’. This award is really a tribute to the passion and dedication of our Scottish suppliers, who bring the very best of Scotland’s larder to Aldi customers every day.
“We’re committed to strengthening these relationships even further, ensuring shoppers across Scotland can enjoy high-quality products while supporting local producers.”
NAM Implications:
- If Aldi is capable of ‘going local’ to this extent i.e. winning the affection of Scottish consumers by helping them buy their own products…
- (and coming back for more!)
- By building and maintaining strong, profitable relationships with local suppliers…
- …they will become embedded and an increasing threat to national rivals that focus on the ‘big picture’.
