AC Goatham & Son, one of the most renowned fruit farms in the UK, has reached a new £750 million deal with Aldi to supply it with fresh apples and pears.
Based in Kent, AC Goatham has been working with Aldi since 2016, but was not its sole provider of British apples until last year. They will be now … and for the considerable future. Their latest contract with Aldi is a stunning 20-year agreement.
Among the planned initiatives are a new “Aldi Orchard” on a 200-acre piece of land on New Green Farm in Gravesend, where Gala and Braeburn apples will be grown and then shipped to stores across the UK.
“This is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to the work both AC Goatham & Son and Aldi have put into the agreement to have created something truly collaborative, a first for the British Top Fruit Sector,” Ross Goatham, Managing Director of AC Goatham & Son, said. “This gives us the confidence now to invest for the future and to grow more British apples and pears for Aldi, guaranteeing sustainability, viability and most importantly UK food security.”
AC Goatham & Son, which earned Supermarket Fruit and Veg Supplier of the Year at the FPC Awards last year, is also planning to devote another 100 acres of apple trees each year for Aldi.
The company supplies around 250 million apples and pears to Aldi stores each year. It is also looking to stretch its growing season via controlled atmosphere storage.
According British Apples & Pears Limited (BAPL), Aldi was the largest purchaser of British apples last year.
