German discount supermarket Lidl has hired a Michelin-starred chef in a bid to win over more-middle class shoppers and hammer home its message of quality.
UK trade paper Retail Week has reported that Kevin Love, who worked as a Lidl store manager before training to be a chef, spent three years as head chef at Heston Blumenthal's The Hinds Head in Bray, Berkshire, will join the supermarket chain in a three-year partnership.
As well as overseeing new product development and creating recipes, Love will also be responsible for sourcing the ingredients used in Lidl’s own brand goods. He will appear in online videos, its in- store magazine and social media initiatives.
Lidl head of marketing and advertising Arnd Pickhardt said that the collaboration “will go far beyond the usual chef endorsement or product range”.
“Chef Love has joined the Lidl family full-time and will devote himself entirely to guiding the brand and customers on a journey of culinary discovery. As the partnership matures, so will Kevin’s role at Lidl.”
