A BRAND new Aldi store officially opened its doors in Poole today and are selling camping essentials all this week.

The new Fleets Lane store is the second Aldi to open in and around Poole and it will be run by store manager Gina Battell and a team of 30 colleagues from the local community.

To celebrate the grand opening, Aldi Poole arranged for Olympic gold medallist Matt Langridge to deliver a virtual assembly for pupils at Canford Heath Infant and Junior School as part of the supermarket’s initiative, Get Set to Eat

Team GB rowing star Matt Langridge delivered an inspirational assembly focusing on the benefits of eating healthy food and the importance of exercise and believing in yourself. Matt also talked to pupils about his experience of competing as an Olympian and shared his challenging training regime.

Gina said: “It’s been a wonderful morning here at the opening of Aldi Poole. It was lovely to welcome our new customers into store, and I look forward to meeting more of the community in the coming weeks.

“I’m also thrilled that we’ve been able to support Canford Heath Infant and Junior School through our partnership with Team GB.”

Team GB hero Matt Langridge added: “I’ve had a fantastic time speaking with the children at Canford Heath Infant and Junior School.

“It was great to talk to them about the importance of eating healthily and how it can be fun to plan and prepare meals as a family. Hopefully I’ve also managed to inspire the pupils to keep active and try different sports.”

The new Aldi store offers large chillers and freezers dedicated to fresh, British meat products, a ‘Food to Go’ section at the front of the store, and an exclusive section full of Health & Beauty products.

Poole customers can also take a walk down the ‘Aisle of Aldi’, where they will find ‘specialbuys’ which are available every Thursday and Sunday.

During opening week, the store will be offering a wide range of camping essentials, including a dome tent for £34.99, deluxe camping chair with footrest for £29.99 and a portable hammock with stand for £39.99.

Additionally, the new Aldi store is calling on local charities and food banks in Poole to register with Neighbourly, a community engagement platform that links businesses to charitable organisations in the local community.