Tesco NI stocks up on more than 10 million portions of local veg ahead of Christmas dinner rush!

(L-R) Roy Little (Founder and Managing Director, Roy Lyttle Produce), Lewis Cunningham (Managing Director, Wilson's Country), Nigel Doherty (Buying Manager, Produce - Tesco), Gerald Miller (Managing Director, Milgro Onions), and Thomas Gilpin (Founder, Gilfresh Produce). 

Tesco stores across Northern Ireland are preparing for a bumper festive season, with more than 10 million portions of locally supplied vegetables expected to be snapped up by shoppers in the run-up to Christmas Day.

From roast potatoes to brussels sprouts, the supermarket giant says the traditional Christmas dinner remains firmly rooted in local produce, with growers from across the Province supplying the seasonal staples that will fill plates in homes nationwide.

In what Tesco has dubbed “the eight veggies of Christmas”, customers are forecast to buy around 2.5 million potatoes, 6 million sprouts, 1.5 million carrots, 500,000 parsnips, 60,000 leeks, 500,000 onions, 20,000 swedes and 10,000 red cabbages in the coming weeks.

Backing local growers for the festive table

All of the core vegetables for the Christmas dinner table are sourced from Northern Ireland suppliers, reinforcing the supermarket’s commitment to supporting local farming families during the busiest time of the year.

Potatoes are supplied by Wilson’s Country in Armagh, while leeks come from Roy Little in Strangford. Gilfresh Produce in Loughgall provides carrots, parsnips, swedes and red cabbages, onions are grown by Milgro in Limavady, and brussels sprouts — the must-have festive vegetable — are supplied by both Gilfresh Produce and Andrew Herron’s farm on the Ards Peninsula.

For many of these growers, Christmas represents the culmination of months of planning, planting and harvesting, with demand peaking as families come together to celebrate the season.

Tesco NI’s Christmas bounty.

Nigel Doherty, Produce Buying Manager at Tesco NI, said:

“We plan to be ahead of last year, and have increased volumes to deliver even greater availability for our customers.”

Potatoes still king at Christmas

Despite evolving food trends, Tesco says the humble potato remains the undisputed heavyweight of the Christmas dinner plate. This year also marks the first time the supermarket is offering Tesco Finest Northern Irish Potatoes exclusively for the festive season.

According to Mr Doherty, tradition still triumphs when it comes to overall demand.

“We are a country of potato lovers, and whether they are mashed, roasted, dauphinois, or hassleback, Christmas sees demand for potatoes like no other time of year,” he commented.

Modern twists on festive favourites

(L-R) Nigel Doherty (Buying Manager, Produce - Tesco), Roy Little (Founder and Managing Director, Roy Lyttle Produce), Lewis Cunningham (Managing Director, Wilson's Country), Gerald Miller (Managing Director, Milgro Onions), Thomas Gilpin (Founder, Gilfresh Produce) and Andrew Johnson, who has been working in Produce at Tesco Knocknagoney for the past 25 years.

While tradition remains strong, Tesco NI has also noticed customers increasingly putting modern spins on classic Christmas vegetables, blending nostalgia with new flavours and cooking methods.

“With new vegetables coming into the scene, more people are choosing recipes that elevate these traditional ingredients, like air-fried sprouts, sprouts glazed with marmalade or even Marmite, parsnips with a miso glaze or carrots cooked in herby butter. It is the perfect mix of tradition and innovation,” Mr Doherty said.

The trend reflects a wider shift among shoppers who want their Christmas meal to feel special, while still honouring the familiar tastes that define the festive season.

Making Christmas dinner mean more

Tesco NI says its focus on local sourcing goes beyond freshness and flavour, helping customers feel a stronger connection to the food on their table.

“Customers want to shop local, and we’re proud to champion Northern Ireland’s growers by bringing their produce to tables across the country. Choosing locally supplied veg doesn’t just guarantee great freshness and flavour but also supports the farming families and communities who make our festive traditions possible - and makes every Christmas dinner mean that little bit more.”

As Christmas approaches, Tesco expects the aisles to fill with shoppers seeking the finishing touches for their festive feasts — many of them built around vegetables grown just miles from home.