Aldi hails ales

TWO ales brewed in Shetland feature at supermarket giant Aldi’s second in-store beer festival which is currently taking place in its 45 Scottish stores.

Valhalla Brewery’s Simmer Dim and White Wife ales are among a total of 33 beers selected from small breweries across Scotland.

The Unst-based brewery’s Sonny Priest said he had shipped almost 4,500 bottles to be sold during the festival, and hopes his ales will have many more fans after the promotion.

Last year Aldi held their first beer festival during which 55,000 bottles of Scotland’s finest ales and beers were sold.

This year more than 70,000 bottles will hit the shelves to keep up with consumer demand, a spokesman said.

Aldi’s Scottish managing director Richard Holloway said: “We were extremely pleased with the success of the first Aldi Beer Festival and we received some fantastic feedback from our customers.

“It feels right to bring the festival back – just in time for summer and barbecue season kicking off. The festival is part of our ongoing commitment to work with local suppliers.”

Priest added that later this month he will also make a sales pitch at the Royal Highland Show, in Edinburgh, for the first time in the company’s history.