New Aldi store near Wigan opens with help from Team GB Olympian

Bronze medalist Laura Deas joined staff and cut the red ribbon alongside pupils from Brookfield Park Primary School to signal the opening of the new Skelmersdale store. Ian Varden will run the premises along with a team of 30 colleagues from the local community.

Laura gave away complimentary bags of fresh fruit and vegetables from the popular super six range to the first 30 customers before delivering an inspirational assembly for pupils of Brookfield Park. This was part of the Get Set to Eat Fresh initiative which has already inspired over 2.5 million school children aged between five to 14 years old.

As Aldi has been fuelling Team GB with fresh, healthy food since 2015 through monthly vouchers, Laura focused on the benefits of eating healthy food and the importance of exercise and believing in yourself. She also talked to pupils about her experience of competing as an Olympian and shared her challenging training regime.

Students were also presented with the opportunity to win a £20 gift voucher to spend at the new store. They were tasked with creating a poster to show what healthy eating means to them and the winner was announced during the assembly.

Laura Deas 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 Brookfield Park 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.”

Skelmersdale customers can also take a walk down the ‘Aisle of Aldi’, where they will find special buys which are available every Thursday and Sunday. During opening week, the store will be offering a range of DIY essentials, including a belt sander for £34.99, an electric 2-in-1 nailer/stapler for £24.99 and a 1200-watt circular saw for £29.99.

Store Manager Ian Varden said: “It’s been a wonderful morning here at the opening of Aldi Skelmersdale. It was lovely to welcome our new 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 Brookfield Park Primary School through our partnership with Team GB.”