Cork is home to the country’s best makers and bakers.

It’s a fact ALDI has used to its advantage; the budget supermarket sourced €70 million of locally produced food and drink from Cork-based suppliers in 2022.

ALDI partners with 30 Cork producers and has forged long-term relationships with Irish Yoghurts and Boulta Agri.

Last year, ALDI began working with five new Cork suppliers for the first time, including Sibly Foods Ltd and Hyde Ltd, opening opportunities for local companies to stock their local produce on the shelves of one of Ireland’s leading retailers.

“Our continued investment with our valued supply partners allows them in turn to invest in their businesses and their people,” said Niall O’Connor, Group Managing Director, ALDI Ireland.

“We’re delighted to announce that we spent over €70 million sourcing locally produced food and drink from Cork suppliers in 2022, while investing more than €230 million in the county since opening our first Cork store in Ballincollig in 1999.”

25 stores in Cork

Now the brand has announced details of its continued significant contribution to Cork’s economy and the impact of its charity partnerships across the county. In its annual ALDI Economic Impact Report, published today, the company said it paid over €30 million in wages and salaries and opened one new store in Cork in 2022.

Operating 25 stores in Cork and a regional distribution centre in Mitchelstown, ALDI employs over 850 full-time staff in the county. ALDI opened a new store in Clonakilty last year, creating a total of 30 new jobs locally.

ALDI’s Cork stores have donated over 300,000 meals through FoodCloud to local charities and each store is also part of ALDI’s Community Grants network, with Cobh Community Hospital and St Johns Ambulance Glanmire and Marymount Hospital and Hospice some of the many local charities that availed of the €500 bursary grant in 2022.