In an act of festive goodwill, Aldi donated 18,060 meals to those in need in Cumbria.

The supermarket teamed up with local charities, community groups, and food banks to distribute unsold fresh and chilled food after early closings on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Beneficiaries of these donations included Ulverston Food Project and Cleator caring Moor.

The donations are part of Aldi's successful partnership with Neighbourly, a platform that joins businesses to charitable organisations.

Aldi UK donates surplus food daily, having given more than 40 million meals to good causes since its partnership with Neighbourly started in 2019.

This Christmas, Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket also partnered with Company Shop Group to provide about 2,000 meals at Community Kitchens across the UK.

Liz Fox, national sustainability director at Aldi UK, said: "We are so proud to work with such amazing charity partners throughout the UK and the impact they have cannot be underestimated, especially during the winter months when their services are needed more than ever.

"We are pleased that through our partnership with both Neighbourly and Company Shop we have been able to give back to the communities we serve by providing more donations than ever this Christmas."

Steve Butterworth, chief executive officer at Neighbourly, expressed his gratitude.

He said: "We’re pleased to have supported Aldi once again during what is often one of the busiest periods for our charities.

"Large donations like Aldi’s allow us to provide vital support to communities across the country who would otherwise miss out."