Olympic medallist Samantha Murray officially opens Aldi's Longridge store

The Team GB pentathlete, who won silver at London 2012, cut the ribbon to declare the store officially open at 8am today (November 29), with the help of store manager Stacey Whiteside.

Complimentary bags full of delicious fresh fruit and vegetables from Aldi’s Super 6 range were handed out by Samantha to the first 30 customers through the door.

As part of Aldi’s ‘Get Set to Eat Fresh’ initiative, the children of Barnacre Road Primary School also received a Super 6 donation to encourage them to cook and enjoy healthy fresh foods with their families.

The opening celebrations continued when Samantha headed over to Barnacre Road Primary School to give an inspirational assembly about her Olympic career and the importance a healthy diet has played in her success.

Speaking after the opening, the silver medallist said: “I’ve had great fun this morning with the customers at Aldi Longridge and loved sharing my enthusiasm for healthy eating with the children of Barnacre Road Primary School.

“A big thanks to Stacey Whiteside and her team, and all of the shoppers who came down to the opening this morning for making me feel so welcome.”

Stacey Whiteside added: “What a fantastic start for the Longridge store. Samantha was an instant hit with our shoppers this morning, taking the time to chat and pose for numerous selfies! The team and I would like to extend a huge thanks to everyone who came along.”

The Longridge store, on The Ridings, will be run by a team of 27 from the local area.