AN Olympic champion is to host the grand opening of Aldi’s new Rhuddlan store on Thursday.

Team GB rower Matthew Langridge, an olympic gold-medal winning rower at Rio in 2016, will meet shoppers when the German chain throws open the doors at its new store at Castle View, Rhuddlan, Rhyl, LL18 5AQ.

Aldi’s seasonal superstar, Kevin the Carrot (inset), will also make a special appearance.

The lovable Christmas advert star will be tucked away inside one of 100 crackers presented to shoppers on the morning of the opening. One lucky winner will receive £100 worth of shopping vouchers from Aldi.

Speaking ahead of the opening, Matthew said: “Aldi has been such a fantastic supporter of Team GB over the past few years, so opening the Rhuddlan store is a great way for me to give back.

”I’m really excited to meet local shoppers and introduce them to their new Aldi.”

The festive ‘Freshtival’ - a celebration of Aldi’s commitment to fresh, British produce this Christmas - will also feature a visit from the Rhyl lifeboat crew and their mascot, Stormy Stan.

Aldi will donate tea and coffee to the RNLI, as well as biscuits, hot chocolate and other treats to the crew, which man one of the busiest lifeboat stations in Wales.

The new 1,254 square metre store has parking for 130 cars .

A total of 15 new jobs have been created and Aldi is still recruiting for a variety of roles, including store assistants and apprentices. Information and applications can be found at www.aldirecruitment.co.uk/ stores

Store manager Adam Raby said: “The team is really excited to open the store and deliver the award-winning products and passionate customer service that our shoppers deserve.

“There’s a free Christmas dinner up for grabs as well as the chance to meet an Olympic hero, so we’re expecting a fantastic opening morning. We’ll also have some great, festive special buys on offer if you need some gift inspiration.”