New Dalkeith Aldi store opened by Team GB Olympian

The Thornybank Industrial Estate store will be run by Store Manager Stuart Nichols, along with a team of 22 colleagues from the local community.

In celebration, Team GB silver medallist Gemma Gibbons gave away complimentary bags of fresh fruit and vegetables to the first 30 customers in the queue, before delivering an virtual assembly for pupils at Woodburn Primary School as part of the supermarket’s initiative, Get Set to Eat Fresh – which has already inspired over 1.9 million school children to learn more about the benefits of cooking fresh, healthy food with their families.

The silver medallist from the London Olympic Games in 2012 focused on the benefits of eating healthy food and the importance of exercise and believing in yourself. She also talked to pupils about her experience of competing as an Olympian and shared her challenging training regime.

In addition, Aldi Dalkeith offered pupils at the local primary school the opportunity to win a £20 gift voucher to spend at the new store.

The pupils were tasked with creating a poster to show what healthy eating means to them. Gemma Gibbons announced the winner during the assembly and they were presented with their £20 voucher.

Store manager Stuart Nichols said: “It was lovely to welcome our new customers into the 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 Woodburn Primary School through our partnership with Team GB.”

Team GB hero Gemma Gibbons added: “I’ve had a fantastic time opening the new Aldi store here in Dalkeith. It was an honour to officially open the store and welcome customers inside for the first time.

“It was great to speak with the children at Woodburn Primary School 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.”