One of Aldi’s largest strawberry suppliers has maintained production through its most challenging summer for water availability after investing more than £3 million in water recycling and storage.
S&A Produce has invested more than £2 million of that total in full run-off recycling systems across its Marden, Brierley and Kent sites.
The systems capture irrigation water that is not absorbed by strawberry plants, treat it and return it to on-farm reservoirs so it can be used again. Introduced across all three sites, the technology has reduced S&A’s overall water consumption by between 25% and 30%.
James Kerr, group finance director at S&A Produce, said: “The prolonged sunshine has led to a significant flush of British strawberries. At the same time, this has been the most challenging summer we have experienced for water availability.
“Our investment in water recycling and storage has allowed us to maintain production through those conditions. Without the measures we have introduced over the past five years, it is doubtful that our business would have made it through this summer.”
S&A is one of Aldi’s largest strawberry suppliers, with its long-term agreement running from May 2026 to November 2030. The agreement provides greater visibility over future demand and supports longer-term financial planning.
It also includes commitments around water preservation, including water recycling, storage and efficiency. S&A’s wider water strategy and investment programme remain independently led.
Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, said: “The pressure S&A has experienced this summer illustrates the very real water challenges facing British growers.
“S&A has independently made significant investments to reduce its water use and strengthen the resilience of its farms. Our long-term agreement provides greater visibility over future supply and demand, while also including commitments around water recycling, storage and efficiency.”
S&A has also invested more than £1 million in two reservoirs at its Marden site over the past three years, bringing its overall investment in water recycling and storage to more than £3 million.
A third reservoir is under construction and is expected to be completed in October 2026, while a separate project beginning at its Kent site later this year will double the capacity of an existing reservoir.
The reservoirs are filled during wetter winter months and used in summer, when Environment Agency licence conditions can restrict river abstraction.
S&A’s Kent farm has also relied on externally sourced water delivered by tanker for almost three months.
James Kerr continued: “Every drop we recover is water we do not need to take from somewhere else. Our systems clean the run-off from our crops and return it to our reservoirs so it can be used again.
“We have reduced our total water in-take by up to 30% which puts us at the forefront of British strawberry growers in terms of the size and scale of our water recycling operations. That resilience has been critical in helping us protect the crop during such a difficult summer.”
The investment comes after the government announced a £65 million package to help farmers in England manage the effects of prolonged dry weather and strengthen their resilience to future droughts.
The measures include up to £15 million for on-farm reservoirs, action to reduce planning barriers and simpler arrangements for accessing water during drought conditions. The announcement followed calls from the NFU for greater support for water storage, a streamlined planning system and more flexible abstraction arrangements.
S&A is holding regular discussions with Defra and local planning teams and is engaging with its local water company about pressure on supplies.
James Kerr concluded: “Growers have a responsibility to use water carefully and invest in their own resilience, but we cannot solve the challenge alone.
“Reservoirs and recycling systems require considerable capital, planning consent and regulatory engagement. More joined-up support would help growers deliver this infrastructure faster and protect British food production when pressure on water supplies is at its greatest.”
