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ALDI CALLS ON SHOPPERS TO ‘PRESS PAUSE’ ON THEIR FOOD

21 May, 2025

Aldi has teamed up with a food waste expert to encourage the nation to reduce food waste and save money.

The UK’s fourth largest supermarket is working with Kate Hall (@thefullfreezer) to inspire customers to  ‘press pause’ on their groceries – sharing smart tips and surprising recipes to make freezing food easier.

It comes as new research by Aldi reveals the average Brit throws away around £387 of food a year, with seven in ten admitting to buying food knowing it will eventually end up in the bin.

Almost a third (31 per cent) of Brits say they would be more likely to consider freezing food if they were more familiar with the rules around it.

Luke Emery, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: “At Aldi, we’re committed to reducing food waste wherever we can across our supply chain, whether that be working with suppliers to cut down on waste, or marking down prices of items nearing their sell by date.

“Now we’re on a mission to help shoppers minimise their food waste too, while getting even more value from their Aldi groceries at the same time. It seems simple, but the research shows that freezing items still isn’t something many do – so we want to showcase just how easy that can be.”

Commenting on the partnership, food waste expert, Kate Hall, said: “Using your freezer is such a simple way to press pause on your food so it doesn’t end up in the bin.

“Freezing food can help our budgets stretch further, and you can actually freeze a lot more than people realise. The trick is knowing the best way to freeze food and what to do with it after freezing.”

The survey also found that eggs, cucumber and lettuce were among the top foods that people never consider freezing, with as many as two thirds admitting they didn’t think they were suitable for it – despite this not being the case if prepared, frozen and reused in the right way.

Customers were also concerned about frozen food losing its flavour (25 per cent) or that they wouldn’t like the texture after defrosting (36 per cent).

To help educate and inspire shoppers, Aldi has worked with Kate to share five top tips and little-known freezing hacks, as well as three freezer-inspired recipes to try:

1. Be a Spuddy Buddy  

Roughly 4.4 million potatoes are wasted every day in the UK! Advice around storing potatoes actually changed a couple of years ago and it has been found that keeping them in the fridge can help them last up to three times longer.

If you’ve not got space in your fridge, it’s okay to keep them in a cool dark place, just store them away from your onions, as these encourage our spuds to sprout faster, and moisture released from spuds can actually make onions go mouldy too.  

If you know you won’t get through all your potatoes, why not consider freezing them. You can’t freeze them raw, but you can absolutely cook a batch of baked potatoes, prep your roasties, or some mash and pop into the freezer once cooled. You don’t even need to defrost them when you want them, just reheat straight from frozen until they’re piping hot!  

2. Don’t Waste a Drop  

If you find your milk goes sour before you can use it, try storing it in the middle of the fridge instead of the door, it’s much colder here and can last up to three days longer! To avoid any leaks, pour half your milk (or more) into a reusable water bottle to lay flat.

Or, if you need your milk to last longer, consider freezing it flat in a sealable freezer bag in usable quantities; this way it can be defrosted quickly in a dish of cold water. Some plant milks can be suitable for freezing too, but you should always check the packaging first to be sure. 

Don’t worry if your milk splits when defrosted, simply give it a quick blend and it should be good as new!

3. A Cracking Idea  

No one wants to experience the stench of an egg past its best, so to make sure none of yours go to waste, keep them in the original box in the fridge or a cool pantry. It’s important that they stay at a consistent temperature rather than in the everchanging temperatures of a home kitchen. 

And in case you’re wondering, YES, you CAN freeze eggs! 

Make sure you always freeze them on or before the best before date – the fresher the better. You’ll need to break them out of the shells first, but eggs can be frozen as whites, yolks (with a pinch of salt or sugar), or combined. If you’re freezing the whole egg, always whisk it first as it will be far harder to mix together after defrosting. 

I like to freeze mine in usable quantities (for example two for an omelette and three for a cake), flat in a labelled freezer bag. This means I can defrost them quickly in a dish of cold water and crack on with making my dish! You can use them for whatever you fancy (as long as they’re cooked through), they’re just perfect once they’re cooked!  

4. You’d be Bananas Not To  

Let’s face it, we can’t always make banana bread every time a bunch gets past its best. But if you can spare 30 seconds to peel, slice and freeze bananas you can avoid them going to waste. Just spread them out on a lined tray before freezing so that they don’t clump together, and then store them in a resealable freezer bag. These are perfect for making banana ice cream or chocolate peanut butter bites! 

You can use the same approach to save lots of other fruits and veggies too, for example cucumbers can be sliced and frozen to be used instead of ice cubes, added to smoothies, or even blitzed into a refreshing sorbet. 

5. A Slice in Time   

You may already know that you can freeze sliced bread, but when it comes to buns, baps and rolls, I’ve got a top tip for you. Make sure you always cut them in half BEFORE putting them into the freezer. This way they will thaw much faster when you need them, and you can even make sandwiches with them whilst they’re still frozen!  

Simply grab your roll from the freezer, add your fillings, wrap it and pop it in your lunchbox and it’ll be ready to eat within an hour or so. 

Kate’s Epic Bread & Butter Pudding

(Makes one for 71p)

If you have built up a ridiculous amount of baked goods in your freezer then this one is for you! It’s also a great way to use frozen eggs (which not many people realise you can freeze).

Kate’s fuss-free banana ice cream

(Makes one scoop for 15p)

This, to me, is the perfect demonstration of how we can make an often-wasted food into something delicious. There are so many ways you can mix it up too, adding nut butters, frozen fruit or chocolate spread with all sorts of toppings so it never gets boring! What could be better than a healthy pudding, with just one 12p ingredient and some sprinkles!?

Kate’s freezer-stash salad pesto

(Makes one for 90p)

One item people admit they are most guilty of wasting is salad leaves, but most people don’t realise you CAN actually freeze salad leaves. Use them straight from frozen to make this tasty pesto – perfect dished up with pasta, a baked salmon fillet and toasted pine nuts. You can also multiply up this recipe and make a batch of the pesto using your fresh ingredients, then freeze it in an ice cube tray to use later. 

For full recipes, visit: aldi.co.uk/the-big-freeze