Tesco Group said that it is now buying €900 million worth of Irish products for export to the UK supermarket giant’s stores outside the Republic.
All told, the group is currently buying €1.6 billion worth of Irish products annually, making it the single largest retail purchaser of Irish food and drink globally, the retailer said in a statement.
Over the past year, Tesco has significantly expanded the presence of several leading Irish suppliers – including jam-maker Folláin, Keohane Seafoods, yoghurt producer Killowen Farm and cheesemaker Bandon Vale – in its UK and central European stores, it said.
Their success abroad has been driven by a combination of quality, innovation and growing appetite among UK and central European customers for Irish food, it added.
“Irish suppliers are playing an increasingly important role in bringing high quality Irish food to customers across the UK and Europe,” said Tesco Ireland chief executive 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.”
The value of Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture exports increased by 12 per cent in 2025 to reach a record €19 billion, according to Bord Bia. Exports to the European Union increased strongly by 16 per cent to €7.1 billion, accounting for 37 per cent of total Irish food, drink and horticulture export value.
This performance was delivered amid one of the most volatile trading environments in recent years, shaped by geopolitical uncertainty, extreme weather events, persistent inflation, and shifting consumer behaviour, the State agency said in a report earlier this year.
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Despite these pressures, Irish exporters demonstrated strong resilience, with growth largely underpinned by higher prices across key categories, most notably beef and dairy.
Jim O’Toole, chief executive of Bord Bia said that the success of Tesco Ireland suppliers across the UK and central Europe was “testament to the dedication, innovation, and world-class standards that define Ireland’s agri-food sector”.
Tesco has 191 stores nationwide, employing over 13,500 people. It has about 5,000 stores globally.