A SUPERMARKET has announced it will be donating its surplus food to two groups who help vulnerable people in the area.

Aldi’s Romsey store, The Hundred, revealed it will be joining forces with Fryer House care home for adults with physical disabilities and supported accommodation charity Threshold who both redistribute supplies to those in need.

The new partnerships comes after a trial, which began in January this year, that was between the supermarket and community engagement platform, Neighbourly.

Aldi has paired up six stores in Hampshire with nearby causes in the area which now collect surplus food up to five days a week.

Each store has donated perishable items, such as fresh fruit and veg, long life items and baked goods.

Last year the supermarket donated two million meals to charity and expects to increase this by 50 percent now the trial has been extended to its more than 830 stores.

Managing director of corporate responsibility at Aldi UK and Ireland, Fritz Walleczek, said: “We’re always looking for new and creative ways to increase the amount of food we are able to donate. This partnership is enabling us to distribute even more surplus stock, while supporting a vast range of good causes, across the South East.

“Our aim is for fresh, healthy food to be accessible for everyone, and Neighbourly are helping us to extend this commitment beyond our affordable range of fresh products.”

Neighbourly CEO, Steve Butterworth, said: "We are delighted to be partnering with Aldi on this programme and to help them realise their ambition to benefit those communities local to each and every one of their stores across the UK.

"Food surplus is a challenge Aldi is committed to playing its part to address. This approach is critical to ensure surplus food finds its way easily to the good causes supporting those communities that need it most."

Any charities in Romsey looking to partner up with an Aldi store should email aldi@neighbourly.com to apply.

Aldi has not sent any waste to landfill since 2014 and has also pledged to reduce operational food waste by 50 percent by 2030 as part of the Friends of Champions 12.3 network.