26 February 2026
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Keohane Seafoods, Castlecor Potatoes and Irish Yogurts among key Cork suppliers to benefit from Lidl Ireland’s local investment
Lidl procured more than €136 million worth of goods and services from 120 suppliers and business partners across Cork last year, serving its 22 stores within the county which employ more than 660 team members.
Lidl Ireland procured more than €136m in goods and services from Cork suppliers in 2025
Lidl’s key Cork suppliers include Keohane Seafoods Ltd, which secured a €30 million contract with Lidl in 2025, providing fresh, frozen and a range of ready-to-eat products to Lidl stores across the island of Ireland. This also included an export deal to Lidl stores across Europe, including Germany, France, Switzerland and the Canary Islands.
Beyond direct economic investment, Lidl drives significant social impact in Cork. The retailer supported 46 local charities in the county, donating over 126,000 meals through Food Cloud. This commitment is further underlined by national support, including a more than a €716,000 donation to charity partner Family Carers Ireland, which provides vital assistance to local Cork carers, and a €820,000 investment in the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) partnership, fostering community sports across the county.
The local investment news comes as Lidl Ireland this week announced it has broken the €2 billion spend mark in procuring goods and services from Irish businesses in 2025 – an increase of €337 million (or 20%) on last year – according to the retailer’s latest annual Supplier and Business Partner Impact Report which details Lidl’s growing support of indigenous businesses.
At a national level, Lidl Ireland procured €1.4 billion worth of goods from the Irish agrifood sector in 2025 – an increase of €167 million (or 13%) on 2024 – and procured a further €595 million worth of services from business partners in Ireland in 2025. More than €404 million of produce from Irish suppliers was exported to Lidl stores across the UK, EU and USA, an increase of 12.5% on 2024 figures.
Alongside its established supplier network, Lidl Ireland is committed to supporting small and medium sized home-grown businesses through its industry-leading Kickstart Supplier Development Programme, supported by Bord Bia. Since its launch in 2017, Lidl has invested more than €42 million in supporting over 300 Irish businesses across the island of Ireland through the Kickstart programme.
In recent years the programme saw Cork-based supplier The Good Dairy Company join the Kickstart alumni, with their handmade ice creams made on the family farm hitting the shelves in Lidl stores across the island of Ireland.
Welcoming the results of the Lidl Ireland’s Supplier and Business Partner Impact Report, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon TD said:
“Today’s announcement clearly demonstrates Lidl’s impact in Ireland and affirms their commitment to Irish business and the local economy. Breaking the €2 billion procurement mark from Irish suppliers is a milestone achievement. I look forward to their continued support for agri-food producers and wider business partners who continue to benefit from this ever increasing investment.”
Launching the new report findings, Robert Ryan, CEO, Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland said:
“Over the last 12 months, Lidl Ireland has achieved phenomenal market share growth and welcomed more than 1.5 million weekly shoppers across our doors. For us, a key driver of success is our longstanding relationships with Irish suppliers, and it’s no surprise to see that our record market share growth to 13.7% in Ireland is also matched with our growing investment into Irish agri-food businesses.
In just four years, we’ve more than doubled our spend with Irish producers and our record €2 billion spend in 2025 affirms our commitment to our valued suppliers and business partners. Not only is this investment a huge driver of local economic growth, but it enables thousands of businesses across the country to grow, develop and enjoy success.
As we continue this momentum, growing our Irish supplier network has never been more important. We’re very much doubling down on our investment and prioritising local sourcing of high quality, nutritious and great tasting food at market-leading value, which customers can expect when they shop at Lidl.
Not only are we home to the ‘World’s Best Steak’, but we stand over the quality of all of our products. With many of these sourced locally from incredible award-winning Irish suppliers – from beef to bread to milk and cheese, fruit and veg and beyond – we’re very proud to fly the flag for Irish producers and utilise our reach and extensive international network to drive these businesses to further success on the global stage.”