In a bid to support those facing food insecurity, discount retailer Aldi has announced that it will be donating over 500,000 meals to good causes over the Easter holidays.

In the UK, 17 percent of households in the UK were ‘food insecure’ in June 2023, according to a YouGov survey carried out by the Food Foundation. However now, Aldi is hoping to make a positive impact by pairing its UK stores with local charities, community groups, and food banks to collect unsold fresh and chilled food year-round.

According to Britain’s fourth largest supermarket, “almost two-thirds of these [are expected] to be donated to causes solely focused on supporting families”.

Partnering with Neighbourly, Aldi will be providing food donations via a community giving platform that links businesses to charitable organisations. 

Commenting on the food donations, Liz Fox, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: “We know that the school holidays can be a particularly challenging time for families, and food banks regularly see heightened demand.

“By working with such amazing charities through our partnership with Neighbourly, we are able to give back to the communities we serve year-round and hope to provide more food donations at Easter than ever this year.”

Meanwhile Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, shared how the ongoing cost-of-living crisis has “increased the demand on food banks, particularly during the school holidays” and went on to explain that “Aldi’s contributions serve as a lifeline for many, providing essential support to enable these causes to continue their vital work within local communities.”

The discount supermarket first partnered with Neighbourly in 2019, and since then it claims it has donated more than 44 million meals to good causes across the UK. In 2024, a new “Spring” fund has been launched by the partnership, that is set to provide additional help for families in need across the UK.