'We're not affected financially when we're out on super six. More throughput in our facility lowers our cost of production, " Leslie Codd said." It's good for us and I imagine it's good for other Aldi suppliers too. "

Codd was speaking at the Guild of Agricultural Journalists AGM held in Aldi's Naas distribution centre on Friday.

Codd Mushrooms is owned by Raymond and Leslie Codd.

Established in 1989, the business employs 225 staff with a turnover of €17m. It supplies around 53% of all mushrooms consumed in Ireland and 75%of all Aldi's mushrooms.

Codd said that that the day they started supplying Aldi directly, back in 2002, was a major turning point in the business.

Before that, all their products were sold and marketed by a third party. They employed 25 staff and produced 28,000lb/week.

Trust

'It is a big deal for a retailer to put that level of trust in you," Codd said about the day Aldi asked Codd mushrooms to start supplying them directly.

"But since then the business has snowballed in terms of scale."

In 2007, Codd invested €5m into the production facility, partly because Aldi Ireland were growing and partly because mushroom sales were increasing.

"You have to have a level of faith in your customer base," Codd said, it had also started supplying another supermarket directly in 2005.

"The investment was a huge commitment that would have been a serious situation if it didn't go right."

However, it worked out and Codd mushrooms continues to expand even today. He puts a certain amount of that down to the relationship built up with Aldi, which is partnered with more than 175 Irish producers.

You're not going to become a millionaire supplying Aldi

"You will do well and your business will do well. They are tough buyers, fair buyers, good buyers."

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