How a Sheffield firm helped Aldi’s Cuthbert the Caterpillar cake skydive from space

The much-loved character made headlines around the world in April when the rival caterpillars cake story first broke, and will be returning to Aldi stores in a special limited edition on Monday, May 17.

Cuthbert’s spectacular skydive saw the brave caterpillar reach an altitude of over 40,000 feet above land in a specially built aircraft, lifted by a large hydrogen-filled balloon.

The astonishing pictures capture Cuthbert floating high above the clouds before being released at the edge of space. Parachuting from the sky, he travelled at speeds of over 50mph, gracefully landing back safely in the early hours of this morning.

Aldi teamed up with stratospheric exploration experts Sent Into Space, whose headquarters is situated just off Sheffield Parkway, for Cuthbert’s dramatic skydive.

Dr Chris Rose from Sent Into Space said: “We ensured Cuthbert was safe to travel into the blue skies as he embarked upon his skydive challenge.

“As with all our flights, Cuthbert’s aircraft ascended into the sky, where he would have reached temperatures as low as -70°C, before taking his plummet.

"Cuthbert reached over 40,000 ft in the air before the skydive took place, and then safely parachuted back down to land.”

As he became a global social media sensation, Aldi decided to bring limited-edition Cuthbert the Caterpillar cakes back to stores nationwide, with all profits donated to charity.

Richard Thornton, communications director at Aldi, said: “Cuthbert has been the centre of global media attention and we felt a dramatic return was called for to celebrate him coming back to our stores.

“And it doesn’t get more dramatic than jumping from the sky at 50mph. Our loyal shoppers have really backed Cuthbert during these last few weeks and we can’t wait to bring a limited edition version of him back to reunite him with his fans and thank everyone for their support, whilst also raising money for charity, including our partner Teenage Cancer Trust.”

Fans of Cuthbert’s can sponsor his charity skydive at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/caterpillarsforcancer.

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