BASINGSTOKE'S newest supermarket has officially been opened today (October 18) by an Olympic silver medallist.

Eager shoppers wanting to see the new Aldi store in the St Michael’s Retail Park were greeted by Frances Houghton, who won silver at Rio 2016 Olympics.

After the celebrations, Frances led an inspirational assembly for pupils and staff at St. Anne’s Primary School, talking to pupils about her Olympic journey and the important role that healthy eating played in her success.

The visit came as part of Aldi’s ‘Get Set to Eat Fresh,’ initiative, which hopes to inspire 1.2 million schoolchildren to learn about the benefits of cooking fresh, healthy food.

To mark the opening of the new store, which makes up part of the new retail park in Winchester Road, Aldi also rewarded the first 30 shoppers to arrive on opening morning with a complimentary bag full of delicious fruit and vegetables from Aldi’s Super 6 range.

Speaking after the opening, the silver medal-winning rower said: “A big thanks to everyone involved with this morning’s opening, including the Aldi Basingstoke team and pupils and staff from St. Anne’s. It was fantastic to meet so many lovely shoppers, and to lead today’s assembly was a privilege.

“It’s so important that children develop healthy eating habits at a young age, to give themselves the best chance of achieving their dreams.”

The new Basingstoke store now offers a wide range of British produce at unbeatable prices. Spanning over 1,254 sqm of retail space, the store will offer an enhanced, convenient and varied shopping experience.

Store manager, Tatyana Salimova, added: “Frances was fantastic with our shoppers this morning and especially patient when it came to selfie-taking. The Aldi Basingstoke team would like to extend a big thanks to everyone who visited us this morning for making it an opening to remember.”