Joe McConville, Section Leader Asda, ,Naomi Anderson, Account Exec & NPD Tehnologist, Richard Gilpin,Head of Farm Operations, Gilfresh Produce
Gilfresh Produce, located in County Armagh, is set to supply over 50,000 pumpkins to all 16 Asda stores across Northern Ireland this spooky season.
Founders of the business, the Gilpin Family, established Gilfresh Produce in 1965, when Thomas Gilpin started his career growing vegetables in a 4-acre field. Thomas’ son, William Gilpin joined the family business in 1999 and is the current Managing Director.
As one of Northern Ireland's largest vegetable growers and suppliers, Gilfresh has partnered with Asda since 2008. Over the past 16 years, the relationship has flourished, with Asda placing its first ever order of 15,000 pumpkins in 2019, which has now increased to over 50,000 pumpkins grown over 20 acres of land, just five years later.
Gilfresh Produce, located in the orchard county of County Armagh, benefits from having an ideal climate and agricultural land for growing pumpkins. Orchard counties often have good pollinator activity, which is very important as pumpkin crops rely on pollinators such as bees for growth.
This setting allows Gilfresh Produce to grow a mixture of medium and large pumpkins for Asda.
Richard Gilpin,Head of Farm Operations, Gilfresh Produce and Naomi Anderson, Account Exec & NPD Tehnologist, Gilfresh Produce
Richard Gilpin, Head of Farm Operations at Gilfresh Produce, said:
“Our relationship with Asda is very important to us. Not only have we supplied produce for the past 16 years, but they were also the first supermarket we started to supply our pumpkins to in 2019. Every year since then, the demand for pumpkins skyrockets in October - and as Halloween gets closer.
“Customers want the best pumpkins for Halloween and our team work hard all year to ensure they are planted, grown, harvested and in stores for the big day. There’s nothing like seeing the fields full and knowing those pumpkins will light up front doors across Northern Ireland at Halloween.”
Cathy Elliot, NI Local Buying Manager at Asda said:
“Carving pumpkins for Halloween is an activity thousands of families enjoy taking part in with the demand increasing each year. Asda expect to sell over 50,000 pumpkins across NI alone and we’re really proud that for the last five years we have been able to source them locally grown from Gilfresh Produce in County Armagh.
“The pumpkins at Gilfresh Produce are grown close to a state-of-the-art pack house, where they are taken to be washed and packed after they’re harvested, which also helps to reduce their road miles. Asda is dedicated to working with local suppliers which helps continue to strengthen our connection with the NI farming community."