Brand new Aldi store opens in Rugeley – and Paralympian star is there to cut the ribbon

Harri Jenkins was the guest of honour at the opening of the store on Power Station Road, which replaces the existing Aldi on Market Street and will be run by Store Manager John McDermott, along with a team of 38 colleagues from the local community.

Harri also 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 assembly for pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School as part of the supermarket’s initiative, Get Set to Eat Fresh.

To celebrate the official partnership between Aldi and ParalympicsGB, the bronze medallist from Tokyo 2020 focused on the benefits of eating healthy food and the importance of exercise and believing in yourself.

He also talked to pupils about his experience of competing as a Paralympian and shared his training regime.

Store Manager John McDermott said: “It’s been a wonderful morning here at the opening of Aldi Rugeley.

"It was lovely to welcome our new and existing 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 St Joseph's Catholic Primary School through our partnership with ParalympicsGB.”

Harri Jenkins said: “I’ve had a fantastic time opening the new Aldi this morning.

"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 St Joseph's Catholic 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, British meat products, a ‘Food to Go’ section at the front of the store, and an exclusive section full of Health & Beauty products.

Rugeley customers can also take a walk down the ‘Aisle of Aldi’, where they will find Specialbuys which are available every Thursday and Sunday.

During opening week, the store will be offering a range of Bluey toys, including a Bluey cash register for £19.99, Bluey keyboard for £12.99 and Bluey figure sets for £9.99.

The new Aldi store is also calling on local charities and food banks in Rugeley 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, 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.