Initiative inspires primary school kids to Grow, Cook & Eat!
Not-for-profit social enterprise GIY have announced the launch of their innovative 2025 SuperValu Let's GROW programme.
This is an ambitious nationwide initiative designed to engage primary schools in food education and sustainable growing practices.
Over 250 schools in Cork have already signed up to this year’s programme and by the end of 2025, nearly 170,000 primary school children across the country will have participated in the 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 last week by award-winning Cork 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 NS 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 (10 March - 4 April): Students plant seeds and cultivate their own vegetables.
COOK (7 April - 9 May): Students create a recipe featuring vegetables they’ve grown or sourced
EAT (12 May - 6 June): 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.
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.
Schools can register now to take part in this year’s SuperValu Let’s GROW programme by visiting giy.ie/campaigns/supervalu-lets-grow/ . The closing date for entries is 21 February.
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.