A brand new Aldi store is officially open for business in Ordsall – after a Team GB boxing legend cut the ribbon at its grand opening on Thursday, May 28. 

The store, on the border of Salford Quays, has taken over the former Morrisons store on Trafford Road. 

After standing vacant for ten years, the building is now home to the famous discount supermarket Aldi. Olympian Lewis Richardson appeared on its first business day and gave away complimentary bags of fresh fruit and vegetables to the first 30 customers in the queue. As a representative for Aldi’s healthy eating campaign ‘Get Set to Eat Fresh’, he’s also due to speak to pupils at Primrose Academy via a virtual assembly about his experience of competing as an Olympian and share his challenging training regime.

Richardson said: “I’ve had a fantastic time opening the new Aldi this morning. I look forward to speaking with the children at Primrose Hill Primary School about the importance of eating healthily and how it can be fun to plan and prepare meals as a family. Hopefully I’ll also manage to inspire the pupils to keep active and try different sports.”

The shop is being run by store manager Rick Harris, alongside a team of 24 colleagues from the local community. The new store is open Monday to Saturday, 8am until 10pm, and Sunday 10am until 4pm. 

Last week, a new PureGym opened at the former Morrison’s site too, which has been split into two units. The new gym features a women’s-only workout space, a new beginner-friendly weights area, and a small amount of free parking. Both the gym and supermarket will serve residents from Ordsall and Salford Quays. 

The site is part of Radclyffe Park, a complex which includes shops and a hotel alongside leisure and housing. There is an existing car park with around 297 parking spaces at Radclyffe Park too. 

The openings mark a new beginning for the building, which has stood empty since Morrison’s closure in 2015. Quays councillor Jonathan Moore previously described the closure as ‘a real shame’ for the surrounding area. 

Local councillors praised the new ventures for bringing new jobs and amenities to the area. 

Major regeneration work is planned in both Salford Quays and Ordsall in the near future, with thousands more homes to be built in the wards which are expected to grow in population numbers.

A regeneration framework for MediaCity and the Quays plans to bring 3,000 new homes and more business opportunities across around 75,000 sq metres in the city.