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Tesco Ireland launches Stronger Starts Cooks programme in Louth
The Stronger Starts Cooks programme provides a six-week hands-on cooking workshop and learning resources for local pupils
Pupils from St Malachys Girls Schools Dundalk with Erin McGreehan TD at the launch
Reporter:
Donard McCabe
04 Nov 2025 5:30 PM
Tesco Ireland has begun rolling out its free six-week Stronger Starts Cooks programme in Louth, supporting children’s health, wellbeing, and practical life skills.
The Stronger Starts Cooks programme is currently underway at St. Malachy’s Girls’ School in Dundalk, with 70 pupils taking part.
Stronger Starts Cooks is a curriculum-aligned educational programme that aims to inspire a lifelong love of food and cooking, encourage healthy eating, and highlight the value of home-made meals to primary school children. Professionally developed in consultation with teachers and the support of a qualified dietician, the programme supports classroom learning while helping children build real-life skills in a fun and memorable way.
Children in 20 primary schools nationwide successfully completed the programme in May and June 2025, and in its first year, almost 3,000 primary school pupils across 42 schools will have participated in the programme, giving them hands-on experience with cooking, nutrition, and food education.
Research from the first group of schools shows that almost all parents (94%) believe cooking should be included in the primary school curriculum, while 79% of schools had no prior classroom cooking experience, highlighting a clear gap in practical food education. In addition, 93% of teachers agree that cooking supports curriculum delivery and helps children build vital life skills.
Delivered mainly to 5th class pupils (with flexibility for 4th and 6th), the six-week experience includes a hands-on cooking workshop and lessons in food science, food safety and healthy eating. Among the highlights is a visit to a local Tesco store, where students explore the journey of food from farm to shelf, take part in a budgeting challenge, enjoy food sampling sessions, and get to see behind the scenes of a busy shop environment.
Delivered by educational specialists Real Nation, the pilot programme has already received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with the majority (95%) of pupils saying they enjoyed the experience.
Rosemary Garth, Tesco Ireland Communications Director said: “We want to play a positive role in championing children’s health in Ireland and believe that helping children to understand more about their food, where it comes from, and how to cook it can really help this.
"Stronger Starts Cooks gives children the opportunity to build practical skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom. From preparing simple meals to understanding budgeting, nutrition, and where their food comes from, the programme continues to give children the tools to make informed choices for a healthier future while supporting thriving communities nationwide.”
Stronger Starts Cooks builds on the success of the Stronger Starts Food programme, launched in 2021, which provides free weekly packs of fruit and veg to children in DEIS schools during school term. Stronger Starts Food Collections support local family resource centres and community groups during school holidays.
Together, these programmes form part of Tesco’s broader Stronger Starts mission, supporting children’s health and wellbeing through community investment and educational initiatives.
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