EAGER shoppers lined the Pavilion Retail Park this morning for the grand opening of Brighton's newest Aldi.

The budget supermarket in Lewes Road was opened in front of dozens of Aldi-lovers at 8.00am with the first 30 customers winning free fruit and veg.

The store’s first customer, Caitlin Hawkes, 21, had been waiting since 6.30am.

She said: “I thought everyone else would have had the same idea but it’s great to be the first.

“I did it for the free vegetables.”

Cutting the ribbon for the crowd of about 70 was Olympic boxer, Anthony Ogogo and children from St Joseph’s primary school.

Excited and smiley shopper, Luke Jones, 28, said the arrival of the new store was "totally brilliant".

He said: "Life is what you make it but is most likely full with inevitable grief.

"If I see an opportunity to jump on the happiness train, I'm going to jump on it.

"And that is why I'm here today."
The store boasts would have a “modest” 1,100 square metres of sales space and is in addition to Aldi’s existing supermarkets in London Road and Carlton Terrace, Portslade.

Greeting the budget supermarket's first visitors was the mayor of Brighton and Hove, Cllr Dee Simpson.

She said: “I think it’s really good because we have one of the most deprived areas in the city here and it’s wonderful that people have access to low cost food locally.

“It’s probably going to create up to 50 new jobs in the city which is win-win situation."

The store will be open from 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday.

The supermarket’s move into the retail park is part of £6 million expansion plans first set out in 2016.

Local resident, Jack Mullholland, has been vocal in his opposition to the supermarket since its July announcement this year.

He said: "I think all of the hype around a supermarket opening is ridiculous. 

"We already have a perfectly good Sainsburys in the area and I can't see how this is going to make a difference.

"I saw a video of people waiting outside - totally ridiculous.

"You won't catch me walking the aisles."

Olympic boxer and Strictly Come Dancing Star, Anthony Ogogo, said: "Aldi is an official sponsor of the GB team and I'm a proud member of the team that's why I've come down to cut the ribbon.

"Now I'm off to St Joseph's school to promote healthy eating."

Aldi has more than 590 stores in the UK and employs more than 25,000 people.