The supermarket group Lidl sourced a record €1 billion of food and drink from more than 400 producers in Ireland last year, a new supplier report published today (Wednesday, January 18) shows.
According to Lidl Ireland, out of the €1 billion worth of food and drink sourced in Ireland, €682 million stayed on Lidl’s supermarket shelves throughout the country while €318 million was exported.
JP Scally, chief executive of Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland praised what he described as the retailer’s “fantastic suppliers” which he said represented “the best of Ireland’s food and drink industry”.
“We’re proud to showcase the high calibre of their products on our shelves in Ireland and on the global stage through our Lidl network.
“In 2022, Lidl Ireland procured more than €1 billion worth of goods from Irish suppliers. This record investment is a huge driver of economic growth,” Scally added.
He said its latest supplier report demonstrated how important supplier relationships were to the success of its business, but also to the more than 400 producers that it supports throughout the country.
“Since 2018, we have been working hard to increase our customer offering, expanding our product range by more than 40% and tripling our buying team to focus on sourcing as many Irish products as possible.
“We look forward to nurturing new and fruitful supplier partnerships and supporting even more local businesses to success,” the Lidl chief executive said.
Lidl suppliers
The retailer highlighted some of the businesses that it is currently working with including Bantry-based Keohane Seafoods, which secured a €20 million deal with Lidl.
The deal also sees Keohane’s fresh and frozen Irish seafood sold in Britain, Germany, Cyprus, Italy and the US.
Another company given the opportunity to shine on an international stage with Lidl is Tipperary’s Honeyvale Foods which supplies Irish ham and bacon products to hundreds of its stores in Denmark, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia and Poland.
While the Dublin Meat Company, which won a €15 million deal with the retailer, and the Donegal juice and smoothie producer Mulrines, which landed a €8 million contract, are also key suppliers to the retailer throughout Ireland.
Lidl’s Kickstart Supplier Development Programme, which is supported by Bord Bia, also helps to give small and medium-sized Irish food and drink businesses a step up to expand their operations.
Now in its seventh year, Lidl said it has invested more than €7 million in the Kickstart programme
According to Jim O’Toole, chief executive of Bord Bia said Lidl has played an important role over the past 20 years in sourcing Irish produce and giving producers access to not only the home market but also export opportunities.
The Bord Bia chief executive said:
“2022 saw record export growth for the Irish agri-food sector, and strong partnerships with retailers, such as Lidl, are a key factor of that growth.
“Bord Bia is committed to continuing our work with Lidl as a partner to ensure this support and growth continues year on year.”