Tesco agrees €10m contract with four Irish food producers

(Left to right) Ger Brickley, CEO of Bandon Vale; Nicholas Dunne, founder and CEO of Killowen Farm; Jim O'Toole, CEO of Bord Bia; Mícheál Ó Lionáird, research and development manager of Folláin; Geoff Byrne, CEO of Tesco Ireland; and Michael Keohane, founder of Keohane Seafoods at the announcement.

Tesco has agreed €10m in new contracts with four Irish food producers to stock their products in supermarkets across the UK and Europe.

The new contracts are in addition to existing contracts for each supplier with Tesco Ireland. The Irish products will now be sold through Tesco outlets across the UK, Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia.

Irish food and drink producers are continuing to grow their international footprint, with more than €900m worth of Irish products exported each year to Tesco stores outside Ireland. 

Over the past year, Tesco Group has significantly expanded the presence of several leading Irish suppliers — including Folláin, Keohane Seafoods, Killowen Farm and Bandon Vale — all of whom produce premium products for Tesco's own brand.

Cork-based preserves producer Folláin has expanded its international presence fourfold in the past year, growing from 180 to 750 Tesco stores across the group, including new listings in Central Europe.

Cork supplier Keohane Seafoods has also continued to grow its overseas footprint, with its Tesco Finest seafood range now stocked in more than 500 Tesco stores across the UK, reflecting strong demand for the product in overseas markets.

Killowen Farm, the Wexford-based yoghurt producer, has seen strong momentum in the UK market, with five of its Tesco Finest yoghurts now available in 650 UK stores following their launch in September 2025.

Cork cheese producer Bandon Vale has expanded beyond Ireland into Central Europe, now supplying 750 Tesco stores across the group, including in Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary, supported by the international appeal of Irish dairy products.

Tesco purchases approximately €1.6bn worth of Irish products annually. “Irish suppliers are playing an increasingly important role in bringing high-quality Irish food to customers across the UK and Europe,” said Tesco Ireland CEO Geoff Byrne. 

“Their success reflects the strength of Ireland’s food industry and our shared ambition to help Irish producers grow confidently in international markets. As the world’s biggest retail buyer of Irish food and drink, we’re proud to champion Irish products to consumers at home and overseas” 

Jim O’Toole, CEO of Bord Bia said: “The success of Tesco Ireland suppliers across the UK and Central Europe is a testament to the dedication, innovation, and world-class standards that define Ireland’s agri-food sector. At Bord Bia, we are proud to bring Ireland’s outstanding food, drink, and horticulture produce to markets around the world. 

"These achievements reflect Ireland’s growing global reputation and highlight the strength of the partnerships that continue to drive sustainable growth for Irish food and drink internationally.”

In its most recent accounts, Tesco said food sales in Ireland between November and January grew by more than 5% annually. Its Cork-born chief executive Ken Murphy expects a group profit of up to £3.1bn this year.

Tesco in Ireland holds 24.1% of the grocery market slightly behind Dunnes, Ireland’s most popular chain at 24.5%.