Five artisan food producers have been awarded Aldi contracts as part of its Grow with ALDI scheme, in conjunction with Bord Bia.

Whittled down from 200 entries, 24 finalists were given a two-week trial run in May, with their products put on sale in each of Aldi’s over 150 stores.

These were narrowed down to the quintet announced at the National Ploughing Championship in Co. Laois. The successful suppliers are:

Cully’s Bakery in Co. Cavan, with their Iced Cherry Log (€2.99) and The Sibly Food Company from Co. Cork with their Handmade Energy Balls (€4.49) will form part of Aldi’s core range. 

Hanley’s Puddings in Co. Cork, with their Pudding Roulade (€2.19), Vale & Acre from Co. Tipperary and their Sausage Rolls (€2.99) and Builín Blasta from Co. Galway with a Smoked Onion Mayo (€3.79) will complete Aldi’s seasonal range. 

In Association with

Aldi buying director John Curtin stated: “Grow with Aldi allows us to establish long-lasting relationships with small-medium-sized businesses while offering mentorship and guidance along the way. The fact that we are still unearthing vibrant new businesses five years into this programme is a testament to the quality and passion of food producers in Ireland."

The scheme has been running since 2018, and has benefited firms such as Velo Coffees in 2018, Walls Honest Chips in 2019 and ProKulture Kombucha in 2020.

Michael Murphy, interim chief executive of Bord Bia, stated: “Bord Bia is proud to continue our successful partnership with Grow with Aldi. The programme is an excellent showcase for emerging food and drink businesses in Ireland and we at Bord Bia, wish them the very best as they embark on the next leg of their business journey.”