SuperValu, the leading Irish grocery retailer, has announced today that it expects to sell 115,000 pumpkins this Halloween which will be used for carving and cooking. SuperValu expects the number of pumpkins sold this Halloween to increase by 30% compared to 2013.
Available in SuperValu stores nationwide from this week, pumpkins will retail at €3 for a giant pumpkin; €2 for large pumpkins and €1 for medium size. This is the seventh year that SuperValu will sell Keeling’s Irish pumpkins, grown by Oisin O’Gradaigh on 4.5 hectares of land in Castlebellingham, Co. Louth, and with the recent fine weather, it has been a bumper crop!
Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu, said, “Demand continues to grow for this Halloween staple and we are delighted to be able to provide SuperValu customers with the quality and value they expect once again this Halloween. As the number one supporter of the Irish food industry, SuperValu works with over 600 local Irish suppliers like Keelings; more than any other retailer in the country. We purchase almost two billion worth of goods produced or sourced in Ireland annually, helping to protect 30,000 jobs in the economy. By shopping with SuperValu, customers are helping to ensure that up to three times more money stays in the local economy compared to international supermarkets.”
Oisin O’Gradaigh, pumpkin grower for Keelings commented, “We are pleased to partner with SuperValu again this year to bring our pumpkin harvest to people all over the country. It was another good season with an excellent skin finish on our crop. At Keelings, like SuperValu, we are committed to quality and customers can expect the very best of hand-harvested pumpkins at great value in stores over the coming weeks.”
SuperValu serves over 2.6 million customers every week and now has 223 stores nationwide. 75% of everything on SuperValu’s shelves is sourced or produced in Ireland. SuperValu continues to source locally wherever possible and purchases almost €2 billion worth of goods from Irish suppliers which help to sustain 30,000 jobs in the Irish economy.
