Aldi has announced a major £1billion move that will be welcome news to British farmers. The German supermarket giant, which has more than 1,050 stores across the UK, has committed to investing £1.1billion over five years into British egg production to further strengthen and support its domestic supply chain.

Aldi says it sells more than 1,500 tonnes of British eggs every week, equivalent to around 2.5 million packs, sourced from poultry farms across the UK. The investment is underpinned by newly established five-year long-term agreements (LTAs) with the supermarket chain’s egg suppliers, running to the end of the decade.

Aldi says the agreements “provide farmers with greater financial certainty, enabling long-term investment in efficiency, infrastructure and animal welfare”.

Aldi is the second-largest retailer in the country for free-range egg volume.

Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, said: “Our egg supply depends on British farmers, and we want to give them the certainty they need to plan ahead.

“By working closely with our suppliers through long-term agreements, we’re able to provide the stability and confidence they need to continue investing in their farms, while ensuring our customers have access to high-quality, British eggs every day.”

Daniel Fairbun, chief executive officer at L J Fairburn & Son, one of Aldi’s major egg suppliers, added: “The long-term nature of Aldi’s agreements gives us the certainty to invest and keep improving how we produce British eggs.

“That confidence also helps us plan year after year to meet customer demand.”

The announcement builds on Aldi’s wider commitment to long-term partnerships with British growers. The supermarket has already increased the number of long-term agreements in place with UK produce and horticulture suppliers earlier this year.

Aldi is aiming to secure at least 50% of its domestic produce supply through long-term agreements by the end of 2027, providing greater certainty for growers and supporting more resilient supply chains.

Lloyds Bank is set to introduce a revolutionary new feature for its customers on Tuesday, 26 August. This innovative change will enable customers to deposit cash into their accounts whilst making a trip to their local shops.

By generating a barcode in the Lloyds mobile app, users can have it scanned at over 30,000 PayPoint stores across the country to deposit notes or coins. Lloyds customers will be able to make daily deposits of up to £300, with a monthly limit of £600, and these barcodes will remain valid for two hours. The bank has stated that this groundbreaking change will simplify the process of managing money for households.

It eliminates the necessity of visiting branches to deposit cash into accounts, reported Birmingham Live.

Gabby Collins, payments director at Lloyds, said: “We’re always looking for smart ways to make banking more flexible and give customers more choice.

“Our latest app feature now allows customers to pay in cash at their local PayPoint in just a few minutes – ideal if they are popping in for milk or dropping off a parcel.”

Nick Wiles, CEO, PayPoint, said: “Our leading retail network provides a vast range of essential services at the heart of communities across the UK, for everything from banking, utility, parcel, cash and Government services.

“The ability of Lloyds customers to make cash deposits into their accounts at over 30,000 PayPoint locations will deliver more convenience and access for customers close to where they live.”