Aldi said that as household bills and living costs rise, the supermarket was committed to offering shoppers the lowest grocery prices throughout 2022.

Aldi put its successful Christmas down to the return of Kevin the Carrot in its Christmas TV advert. It says the ad helped Aldi attract more than half a million new customers from more expensive “big four” supermarkets and propelled it to its best ever festive sales results.

Sales in December rose +0.4% compared to the previous year, when grocery spending was higher than usual due to the national lockdown and temporary closure of bars and restaurants. Aldi was the only major supermarket to grow sales in December according to Kantar,and its sales were also up 8.1% on 2019.

Giles Hurley, CEO of Aldi UK, said: “Kevin the Carrot reminded Britain last year that you do not need to be extravagant to be kind, just as you do not need to spend a lot to indulge your family with a little luxury at Christmas.

“As the UK’s fastest growing supermarket in 2021, our premium Specially Selected range notched up its highest ever sales. We saw strong demand for our award-winning beers, wines and spirits. Stand out popular products included our Specially Selected Exquisite Chesham Bronze Turkey as well as our English Sparkling Wine.

“As we look ahead, the top priority for most families this year will be managing their household budgets in the face of rising living costs. As the cheapest supermarket in Britain, Aldi will always offer the lowest prices for groceries, no matter what, and continue to support our British farmers and producers.”

Aldi’s Christmas ad was deemed the year’s most effective by Kantar’s annual consumer survey. The advert, which saw Kevin the Carrot join forces with ‘Marcus Radishford’ and highlight Aldi’s support for the footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign against child food poverty.

Last year, Aldi announced plans to create 2,000 jobs in 2022 and invest a record £1.3bn over two years, opening 100 new stores as well as distribution centres, and refreshing existing stores.

From next month, all store workers will be paid a minimum of £10.10 an hour nationally, or £11.55 for those inside the M25.