Tesco and Keohane’s agree €21m fish deal

SUPERMARKET giant Tesco has agreed a new two-year supply deal with Bantry-based Keohane Seafoods worth more than €21m.

The food producer will add 20 new Tesco brand product lines to its range available in Tesco’s 170 stores nationwide.

Keohane Seafoods already supply 30 fish products into Tesco Ireland, including  popular offerings like its salmon fillets with garlic and herb, and its cod fillet with lemon and herb marinade.

Last year its ‘Tesco finest wild atlantic scallops with garlic and fennel butter’ received a Blás na hEireann award.

Keohane Seafoods was founded in 2010 by Mike, Colman, and Brian Keohane. It has a modern processing factory on Sheep’s Head and a further premises in Cork city.

‘We are delighted to work with Tesco Ireland on bringing these highly innovative products to their many customers across Ireland,’ said Keohane Seafoods managing director Colman Keohane. ‘As a company, we have made a significant investment in our new state-of-the-art factory. We are really excited that in addition to our core range of seafood products, we now have a dedicated facility that can provide a quality range of “ready to eat” seafood products to Irish consumers.’

Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney said  Tesco backing great Irish producers, like Keohane’s, is ‘important for maintaining and securing future jobs, particularly in rural and coastal areas’.

Tesco Ireland commercial director Joe Manning said the supermarket group is the single leading retail purchaser of Irish food and drink in the world, with purchases totalling €1.6bn a year.

‘We support more than 500 local suppliers across Ireland, including Cork’s Keohane Seafoods.

‘With this partnership, Tesco customers can look forward to enjoying this expanded range of affordable, high-quality seafood products, from this award-winning Irish seafood producer.’