Aldi is increasing pay for store staff from next month, above the Living Wage Foundation’s recommended rates.

The change means Aldi store assistants will receive a minimum of £9.10 nationally and £10.55 inside the M25.

Aldi said the rise “strengthened its position as the UK’s best-paying supermarket”.

Aldi said that its new national pay rate is higher than the ‘real living wage’ rate of £9 per hour recommended by the Living Wage Foundation and matches the £10.55 rate recommended for workers inside the M25.

Despite the ‘best-paying’ claim, Sainsbury’s already pays £9.20 per hour and £9.80 to staff working in stores in Zones 1 and 2 of London.

All of Aldi’s store assistants will also get “an enhanced employer pension contribution”, which the retailer maintained cements its position as a top payer.

Aldi UK chief executive Giles Hurley said: “Our store colleagues do a fantastic job every day and the excellent service they provide to customers is a key reason why we are the UK’s fastest-growing supermarket.

“We’re committed to being the best supermarket employer in Britain and this means rewarding our colleagues for the excellent job they do with market-leading rates of pay and opportunities to progress their career.”

Aldi, which has about 800 UK branches and a market share of 7.4%, intends to open another 65 stores this year, creating 2,500 new jobs.