Team GB badminton star Marcus Ellis opened Huddersfield’s new Aldi store with youngsters from Paddock Junior, Infant and Nursery School on Thursday morning.

Marcus, who hails from Bolster Moor, cut the ribbon to officially open the new store in New Hey Road, Oakes.

Olympic bronze medallist Marcus gave away complimentary bags of fresh fruit and vegetables from Aldi’s Super 6 range to the first 30 customers in the queue.

Later he delivered an inspirational assembly to pupils at Paddock school talking about his career and the challenge of being a top-level athlete. He spoke about the importance of healthy eating, exercise and self-belief. 

Aldi also ran a competition for pupils to create a poster to show what healthy eating means to them. Marcus presented the winner, Anam, with a £20 gift voucher to spend at the new store.

Marcus said: “It was great to speak with the children 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.”

Marcus Ellis with (L-R) Mirabel, Remi, Anya and Ibrahim

Store manager Alex Georgiou, who has 34 staff, said: “It was a wonderful morning and lovely to welcome our new customers into store. I look forward to meeting more of the community in the coming weeks.

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

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.

New Hey Road customers can also take a walk down the Aisle of Aldi, where they will find legendary Specialbuys which are available every Thursday and Sunday.

During opening week, the store will be offering a range of bedroom comforts such as a Mega Bounce Duvet from £14.99, Mega Bounce Mattress Protector from £9.99 and Easy Care Duvet Sets from £12.99.

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

Local charities that register will be able to collect surplus food and perishable products such as fruit, vegetables and baked goods, seven days a week.

Any charities in the area that would like to partner up with the new Aldi store should email aldi@neighbourly.com.

The new store is located in New Hey Road, HD3 4DD, and will be open Monday-Saturday 8am-10pm and Sunday 10am-4pm.