Lidl GB has committed to investing billions into British food businesses this year.

The discount supermarket, which has stores across Gloucestershire, has unveiled plans to invest £4 billion in British food suppliers in 2023, as it continues to support businesses across the country.

In 2019, the German retailer pledged a £15 billion investment in the British food industry from 2020 to 2025. With this new announcement, that figure is now expected to reach £17 billion, as reported by Retail Gazette.

Lidl GB sources two-thirds of its core produce from the UK and works directly with over 650 suppliers from across the country.

In 2022, almost £500m worth of exports from British suppliers went to Lidl supermarkets in other countries, helping suppliers to open up additional revenue streams and grow their businesses in a challenging retail environment.

Lidl GB suppliers send over £50m worth of British cheese to Lidl stores across Europe. Somerset-based cheese producer, Wyke Farms, has worked with Lidl since 1994 and currently has a contract with Lidl GB until 2028, worth £35m a year.

Wyke now exports to 16 other Lidl markets, with shoppers in Poland being the biggest fans of Somerset cheddar outside the UK.

Lidl and Wyke launched the first supermarket carbon-neutral cheddar. The two businesses are now working together to pioneer a closed-loop system, which will ensure complete carbon neutrality throughout the supply chain by 2030.