A brand-new Aldi store in Haddington opened its doors to customers yesterday, with Team GB Olympic Judo hero Gemma Gibbons cutting the all-important red ribbon.
The Gateside Commerce Park store will replace the store on Whittingehame Drive, and will be run by Store Manager Darren Ross, along with a team of 22 colleagues from the local community.
In celebration, Team GB silver medallist Gemma Gibbons gave away complimentary bags of fresh fruit and vegetables from Aldi’s famous Super 6 range to the first 30 customers in the queue, before delivering an inspirational assembly for pupils at Haddington Primary School as part of the supermarket’s initiative, Get Set to Eat Fresh – which has already inspired over 1.9 million school children aged 5-14 years to learn more about the benefits of cooking fresh, healthy food with their families.
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The silver medallist from the London 2012 Olympic Games focused on the benefits of eating healthy food and the importance of exercise and believing in yourself. She also talked to pupils about her experience of competing as an Olympian and shared her challenging training regime.
In addition, Aldi Haddington offered pupils at the local primary school the opportunity to win a £20 gift voucher to spend at the new store. Children at Haddington Primary School were tasked with creating a poster to show what healthy eating means to them.
Store Manager Darren Ross said: “It’s been a wonderful morning here at the opening of Aldi Haddington. It was lovely to welcome our new customers into store, and I look forward to meeting more of the community in the coming weeks. I’m also thrilled that we’ve been able to support Haddington Primary School through our partnership with Team GB.”
Team GB hero Gemma Gibbons added: “I’ve had a fantastic time opening the new Aldi store here in Haddington. It was an honour to officially open the store and welcome customers inside for the first time.
“It was great to speak with the children at Haddington Primary School about the importance of eating healthily and how it can be fun to plan and prepare meals as a family. Hopefully, I’ve also managed to inspire the pupils to keep active and try different sports.”
The new Aldi store offers large chillers and freezers dedicated to fresh, Scottish meat products, a ‘Food to Go’ section at the front of the store, and an exclusive section full of Health & Beauty products.
Haddington customers can also take a walk down the ‘ Aisle of Aldi’, where they will find legendary Specialbuys which are available every Thursday and Sunday. During opening week, the store will be offering a wide range of home accessories, including velvet stools for £39.99, tripod floor lamps for £49.99 and wire shelves for £14.99.
Additionally, the new Aldi store is calling on local charities and food banks in Haddington to register with Neighbourly, a community engagement platform that links businesses to charitable organisations in the local community.
Local charities that register will be able to collect surplus food and perishable products, such as fruit, vegetables and baked goods, up to seven days a week. Any charities in the area that would like to partner up with the new Aldi store should email aldi@neighbourly.com.
The new store is located at Gateside Commerce Park, Haddington, EH41 3DF.
