Aldi has invested £750m in a new 20-year deal with a Kent-based fruit farm, in a move that will see the creation of an “Aldi Orchard”.

AC Goatham & Son, which has supplied the discounter’s apples and pears since 2016 and supplies it with estimated 250 million apples and pears each year, was named earlier last year as its sole supplier of British apples.

The new deal will see the 200 acre-plot grow a mix of Gala and Braeburn apples exclusively for Aldi stores across the country, as the supermarket giant said the long-term agreement will provide “vital support” for British farmers.

Aldi managing director of buying Julie Ashfield said: “We are proud to be one of the largest buyers of British apples and of our partnership with AC Goatham & Son.

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“This new 20-year deal represents a £750m investment in British farming and demonstrates our long-term commitment to championing British produce.”

The new move comes as the discounter was named Apple Retailer of the Year by British Apples and Pears Limited (BAPL) and Fresh Produce Retailer of the Year 2023 by the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC).

The fruit farm, which was named Supermarket Fruit and Veg Supplier of the Year at the FPC Awards 2023, also has plans to plant an additional 100 acres per year of apple trees exclusively for Aldi.

AC Goatham & Son managing director Ross Goatham said: “This is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to the work both AC Goatham & Son and Aldi have put into the agreement to have created something truly collaborative, a first for the British Top Fruit Sector.

“This gives us the confidence now to invest for the future and to grow more British apples and pears for Aldi, guaranteeing sustainability, viability and most importantly UK food security.”