SuperValu and not-for-profit social enterprise GIY have announced the launch of their innovative 2025 SuperValu Let's GROW programme. SuperValu Let’s GROW is an ambitious nationwide initiative designed to engage primary schools in food education and sustainable growing practices. By the end of 2025, nearly 170,000 primary school children will have participated in the 'SuperValu Let's GROW' initiative, learning essential skills and receiving resources to cultivate fresh food for free at school. This long-term partnership emphasises the importance of homegrown food within classrooms, communities, and households across Ireland.
The 2025 campaign was officially launched yesterday (Tuesday, 11th February) by award-winning chef Lilly Higgins, who has created a series of family-friendly recipes for the SuperValu Let’s Grow initiative. As part of the launch, last year's winners, Nagle Rice National School from Milltown Kerry, visited students at Strawberry Hill N.S. in Cork City to demonstrate that 'There's Always Space to Grow,' whether your school is located in a rural area or an urban setting.
Lilly is a big believer in encouraging children to grow and prepare their own food in a positive and sustainable way, "We all know that those who grow their own food tend to eat more locally, organically and seasonally, which is incredibly important. By giving our kids the power to cook with ingredients they’ve grown themselves, we can inspire them to get excited about fruit and veg. The SuperValu Let’s Grow campaign is invaluable in providing children, teachers, and families with the tools they need to start growing, making fresh, homegrown food more accessible and engaging for everyone.”
Features of the 2025 Programme
Running from March to June 2025, through fun challenges, the programme immerses students in the full lifecycle of food:
- GROW (March 10th - April 4th): Students plant seeds and cultivate their own vegetables.
- COOK (April 7th - May 9th): Students create a recipe featuring vegetables they’ve grown or sourced.
- EAT (May 12th - June 6th): Students taste a variety of vegetables they’ve grown or sourced and create a food review for each one.
Participating primary schools will receive a ‘SuperValu Let’s GROW’ classroom pack, containing everything needed to bring food-growing education to life, including:
- A variety of seeds such as cress, peas, salad leaves, beans, and sunflowers
- 32 compostable pots and magic compost discs
- An expert GIY booklet featuring growing guides, recipes, and fun activities
Primary schools will also have the chance to win fantastic prizes, including a new school garden to the value of €1,000 and additional regional rewards such as SuperValu vouchers and GIY goodie bags.
The Importance of Food Empathy
Research by GIY has shown that children who grow their own food develop “food empathy”—a stronger connection to their meals that sparks curiosity, healthier eating habits, and an openness to trying new food.
Ali Honour, Campus Director & Head of Food, GIY, said: "This initiative is a powerful opportunity to equip children with essential life skills - growing their own food and developing a deep appreciation for fresh, seasonal, and nutritious ingredients. At a time when the climate crisis and cost of living challenges are converging, ensuring that future generations have the knowledge and confidence to feed themselves is more critical than ever. Hands-on experience in growing food not only fosters resilience but also empowers children to take meaningful action, helping to ease climate anxiety by giving them a sense of agency in shaping a more secure and sustainable future.”
SuperValu Managing Director Luke Hanlon said: “SuperValu is proud to partner with GIY for the third year of the ‘SuperValu Let’s GROW’ initiative, empowering 170,000 primary students by 2025 to grow their own food and understand the benefits of healthy and sustainably sourced food produce. As Ireland’s leading community retailer, supporting communities is the essence of what we do., We wish to inspire the next generation by teaching them the lifelong benefits of growing one's own food."
Celebrating Past Success
Mrs Jan Keirns of Nagle Rice National School, who were last year’s winners, said: “We have loved taking part in the SuperValu Let’s Grow initiative over the past few years. The fact that the challenges are transferrable from the classroom to the garden makes it easy for both the teachers and children to get involved. We encourage the children to use the garden salads they grow in their sandwiches or to take vegetables home. Teaching them about where their food comes from helps them to make better healthy food choices.”
“We were thrilled to be named the overall champions last year and the prize fund has allowed us to buy picnic benches for the garden so that all the classes can take their lessons outside and benefit even more from the space.”
Get Involved!
Schools can register now to take part in this year’s SuperValu Let’s GROW programme by visiting https://giy.ie/campaigns/supervalu-lets-grow/ or contacting their local SuperValu store. The closing date for entries is 21st February, 2025. Families and individuals are also encouraged to ‘grow along’ with the school children by following SuperValu and GIY on social media, as Lilly Higgins shares her exclusive and fun recipes. Grow and cook along with Lilly using the hashtag #supervaluletsgrow on social media.
