A total of 34 Aldi products were awarded titles at the 2018 Great Taste Awards, including a number of Irish-grown products.
Winning products from Irish suppliers include: Aldi’s Specially Selected Irish Buffalo Mozzarella, made by Macroom Buffalo Cheese; Aldi’s Specially Selected Irish Rapeseed Oil, made by Donegal Rapeseed Oil; and Aldi’s Irish Angus Rib Roast on the Bone, produced by ABP.
Commenting on the success, group buying director Finbar McCarthy said: “We are extremely proud of winning 34 awards this year.
“The Great Taste Awards are one of the most reputable and prestigious fine food and drink awards in the UK and Ireland, so we are thrilled to see that our commitment to quality has been once again recognised, and that the hard work of our Irish suppliers is being properly rewarded.
This year we launched ‘Grow with Aldi’, which represents the next step in our continuing commitment to buying Irish.
“This supplier development programme for small and medium sized food and drink producers makes it easier for companies to get their products on our shelves and gives our customers access to the most exciting and highest quality new products from across Ireland.”
The Great Taste Awards, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, is the acknowledged benchmark for fine food and drink. It has been described as the “Oscars” of the food world, according to the multinational retailer.
Thousands of food and drink products were blind taste-tested by expert judges, with the winners chosen by a panel made up of top chefs, buyers, food writers and retailers following a rigorous judging process.
Aldi is committed to growing its Irish supply base and increasing the number of Irish products available in its stores, the company has said.
“Aldi recently increased its support for small Irish suppliers by reducing its payment terms to help them grow and invest,” a company spokesperson added.