Tesco Ireland said it now ships more than €900 million of Irish produce each year to its stores overseas, as local food and drink manufacturers widen their presence across the UK and Central Europe. The retailer also announced €10 million of fresh contract wins for four Irish suppliers to its businesses in the UK and Central Europe, saying the deals will place additional Irish items on hundreds of Tesco shelves beyond Ireland.

Those new agreements join a raft of existing arrangements between the suppliers and Tesco, which the company says makes it the world’s largest retail purchaser of Irish food and drink, buying about €1.6 billion of such goods annually. Industry reporting and Tesco-commissioned analysis have previously put the value of the retailer’s Irish exports close to €960 million, underlining the group’s significant role in moving Irish produce into overseas markets.

Among the suppliers highlighted, Cork preserves maker Folláin has expanded rapidly, increasing its distribution within the Tesco group from 180 stores to 750 in the space of a year. Keohane Seafoods, also based in Cork, is reported to have entered 650 UK stores following a launch in September 2025, while Wexford yoghurt producer Killowen Farm saw five Tesco Finest yoghurts reach 650 UK outlets after their September 2025 introduction. Cork cheese maker Bandon Vale has pushed into Central Europe and is now supplying around 750 Tesco stores in countries including Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary.

Tesco and sector bodies attribute these gains to a mix of product quality, innovation and rising consumer appetite for Irish food in target markets, a trend that analysts say is helping suppliers scale and sustain local employment. Tesco has reinforced that support through multi-year supplier investments and partnerships; the retailer has disclosed more than €200 million of supplier renewals and expansions in recent years and has extended initiatives aimed at promoting Irish brands.

The retailer’s collaboration with Love Irish Food has been prolonged to 2028, and organisers say member brands are now generating more than €180 million in annual sales across Tesco stores, with many suppliers reporting double-digit sales growth since the partnership began. Other mainstream retailers in Ireland have also increased their spend on domestic producers, a competitive backdrop that includes sizeable sourcing deals by rivals and underlines growing export channels for Irish agrifood companies.

Commenting on the developments, Tesco Ireland CEO Geoff Byrne said, "Irish suppliers are playing an increasingly important role in bringing high quality Irish food to customers across the UK and Europe. 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, added that the performance of Tesco Ireland suppliers "is a testament to the dedication, innovation, and world-class standards that define Ireland’s agri-food sector" and said the results reflect Ireland’s growing global reputation and strong commercial partnerships.