Nantwich cheesemaker Joseph Heler expands to cater for Aldi demand

Nantwich cheese maker Joseph Heler is expanding as its partnership with supermarket giant Aldi continues to grow.

Aldi has announced plans to increase the amount of food and drink it buys from British suppliers over the next five years by £3.5bn.

The company is investing £500m in new and upgraded stores, including a new on in Nantwich, which will create more than 4,000 jobs across the UK.

And British food and drink producers like cheese producer Joseph Heler are flourishing as part of the expansion.

Based near Hankelow, Jospeh Heler began its partnership with Aldi in 2013 to supply the supermarket with more than 4,000 tonnes of cheese per year.

It has led to investment in new facilities alongside new technologies and equipment to meet the growing demand from Aldi.

George Heler, Managing Director at Joseph Heler, said: “We have a relationship with Aldi built on trust and honest dialogue.

“The partnership gives us the confidence to keep investing in our growing business which will allow us to keep making cheese for British consumers for years to come.”

Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer at Aldi UK, said: “We are expecting significant sales growth in 2021 as we open new stores and bring Aldi to more locations across the UK.

“With the vast majority of our grocery products now coming from British suppliers, our growth will lead to additional jobs and investment in our UK supply chain.”

Aldi has also confirmed that the immediate payment terms for small suppliers it introduced at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic will be extended until the end of 2021.