Aldi has begun handling fruit and vegetables at its Bardon Distribution Centre in Leicestershire, as the UK’s largest automated warehouse moves into its next phase of operation. The first pallets of produce, including ginger and avocados, were delivered to the site on Wednesday 16th September, with the first outbound pallet the following day.
The start of fresh produce operations follows the launch of operations at Bardon in May 2026. The UK’s biggest discounter has invested more than £500m in the site, which forms part of Aldi’s £1.6bn investment in Britain during 2026 and 2027. The facility is also the lowest carbon density warehouse across the Aldi South Group, with 19,000 solar panels installed on the roof.
Once fully operational in 2027, during peak periods more than 1.5 million kilograms of fruit and vegetables will move through the 1.3million square foot site daily and more than 6,000 pallets of fresh produce will depart the Bardon Distribution Centre every day bound for Aldi stores across the UK.
The latest automated technology being used at the site, delivered by technology partner Cimcorp, will help Aldi move fresh produce through the site more efficiently, while maintaining the different temperatures required to maintain freshness and shelf life of products including salad leaves, bananas and soft fruit.
The investment will add capacity to Aldi’s distribution network as the supermarket works towards its long-term ambition of operating 1,500 UK stores. Once fully operational, the site will employ around 1,000 colleagues and have the capacity to handle nearly seven million pallets annually.
The fresh produce operation at Bardon spans three dedicated temperature-controlled areas, with chilled storage for products like apples and carrots, and a specialist banana room. In the chilled chamber, pallets are moved into high-bay racking until they’re needed to go to stores, then automated shuttles will call them down for dispatch.
As the UK’s third biggest retailer of fresh produce, Aldi sells an average of 2.2 billion fruit and vegetables every year, including over 300 million bananas, 80 million apples and 160 million potatoes. In July 2026 alone, Aldi sold 2,250 tonnes of British apples making it the biggest customer of domestic apple growers. The retailer also has a target to increase the number of portions of fruit and veg sold by 14% by the end of 2027.
Jonathan Heaton, regional managing director for Bardon, at Aldi UK, said: “The start of fresh produce operations at Bardon is a proud moment for everyone involved in this project and marks a step change in how we serve our customers. Fresh produce is a vital part of our customers’ shopping, yet it presents one of the most complex challenges in grocery logistics, with products needing to move quickly and efficiently from suppliers to stores to maintain freshness. The technology we’ve implemented with Cimcorp allows us to handle enormous volumes while maintaining the precision and care that fresh products demand.
“This investment is about more than efficiency. By reducing the cost of moving products from our suppliers to our stores, we can continue to deliver the lowest prices on the market while ensuring customers always find fresh, high-quality fruit and vegetables on our shelves. As operations build over the coming weeks, Bardon will play an increasingly important role in Aldi’s supply chain, supporting our continued growth across the UK.”
Mikko Kumpulainen, key account manager at Cimcorp, said: “Fresh food logistics present unique operational challenges that require specialised technology and expertise. This distribution centre demonstrates how intelligent automation can manage high volumes while maintaining the flexibility needed for a complex grocery environment.
“Our automation allows Aldi to respond more effectively to changing demand patterns while supporting long-term growth. Ultimately, the goal is simple: ensuring high-quality fresh products are available for consumers whenever they visit their local store.”
