Pilgrim’s Pride has secured a new five-year agreement with Aldi to supply fresh pork products from its Kings Lynn site.
The agreement will run until 2025, covering a range of fresh packaged hams for the retailer, including wafer thin honey roast ham, cooked ham slices and premium thick cut oak smoked and honey roast ham products.
Pilgrim’ said Kings Lynn is a cooked meat ‘centre of excellence’ and was the ideal facility for Aldi to utilise for its popular fresh ham range. An additional 30 roles have been created following the agreement, with the site also conducting training sessions for current staff to ensure they are ready to begin production. There is also scope for further recruitment when volumes increase in 2021.
Pilgrim’s Pride CEO Andrew Cracknell said: “This agreement represents a significant milestone on our journey to become the best and most respected company in our industry.
“With this new partnership, Aldi has bought into our unrivalled farming base and supply chain, the capabilities and credentials of our factories, and the expertise and passion of our team. We look forward to growing the relationship further in the years ahead.”
Andy Shepherdson, site director at Pilgrim’s Pride Kings Lynn (pictured), added: “This is fantastic news for the site and for the local area, securing our future for years to come.
“We have an enthusiastic and hard-working team here at Kings Lynn and as volumes increase in the next few months, there will be further recruitment opportunities to come. We’ll be creating a delicious range of products and I know our colleagues will be very proud to see them stocked on Aldi’s shelves when they next visit.”
Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi UK, said: “Offering our customers great quality British food at unbeatable prices is what our business is built on.
“We can only do that by working with the best farmers, growers and producers the UK has to offer, which is why we’re thrilled to announce this new partnership with Pilgrim’s Pride.”