Bonnybridge super gran gets month of shopping free from local superstore

Shehnaz Ijaz, from Bonnybridge, has been rewarded with a month’s free shopping after her son nominated her for an Aldi campaign celebrating the special role grandparents play in family life.

Shehnaz was among just three Scottish winners chosen from nominations submitted across the country, recognising the grandparents who bring generations of families together around the dinner table.

A grandmother of three, Shehnaz regularly looks after seven-year-old Eris, five-year-old Zachary and two-year-old Ezra, who love nothing more than getting involved in the kitchen with their “Dadima”, which means grandmother in Urdu.

From making chapatis and samosas to picking raspberries on day trips, Shehnaz encourages her grandchildren to get involved and learn by doing, even if it takes a little longer to get things right.

Shehnaz said: “The children love getting involved. They love making chapatis with me and they stand beside me at the counter and roll out the pastry. I let them do it the way they want to and then try to guide them through it. They are still small, so it takes time to get everything right, but they really enjoy it.”

Family has always been at the heart of Shehnaz’s life. She and her husband have five children of their own, and when Eris was born, both of her parents were working full time so Shehnaz took on the mantle to care for her grandchildren, alongside working in their newsagents on High Station Road, Falkirk.

Today, Shehnaz’s grandchildren are regular visitors, with family time often centred around the kitchen and dining table.

She said: “We always make our meals from scratch. This is my biggest tip for tasty, home cooking. The children love the food, especially chapatis, masala curry, chicken and rice.

“We have little chairs beside the cooker and they like getting involved and watching everything being made. I find this helps to keep them engaged at mealtimes, and for us sitting together, eating the same meal, is a non-negotiable.”

It was this close-knit family life, and the important role Shehnaz plays in keeping everyone together, that prompted her son Khuram to put her forward for Aldi’s search for Scotland’s top grandparents.

She said: “When Khuram told me he had put me forward, I really didn’t think much of it – with a lot of these things you don’t think you have a chance of winning. So, I was incredibly surprised and shocked to be told I had won. I thought, ‘That can’t be true!’

“Even when I got the very generous voucher I was still apprehensive, then when the checkout lady cashed me out and said congratulations I was so surprised and very happy.”

For Shehnaz, the prize is a recognition of something she has always considered one of the most important parts of family life - making time to eat, cook and spend time together.

Tom Brearey, Regional Managing Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “Long before recipe apps, air fryers and social media food trends, grandparents were passing down family recipes, cooking from scratch and creating the meals that became the backdrop to family life.

"At Aldi we firmly believe that food still has the power to bring people together.”