Research conducted by Tesco has shone a light on fresh produce buying trends in the Republic of Ireland.
The retailer found that County Cavan shoppers buy a larger proportion of apples than the rest of the country; that nearly 70 million bananas are sold in stores every year, topping the popularity charts in most counties, save for shoppers in Clare, Donegal, Galway, Kildare and Mayo, who favour fresh berries over bananas; and that kale and cauliflower were the least popular fresh produce products.
The supermarket analysed weekly data collected in stores in the Republic of Ireland over 12 months to discover national and regional fruit and veg preferences.
The research, featured in the Irish Examiner, found that the top vegetable in Cork was potatoes, while bananas, berries, tomatoes and oranges were the four most popular fruits in the country.
The least popular fresh produce items included cauliflowers, chillies and kale.
Wexford shoppers bucked the trend, though, as they buy a larger proportion of cauliflower than the rest of the country.
Dubliners, meanwhile were found to be more into food trends than any other Irish county last year, with kale and avocado proving more popular in Dublin than the rest of the country.
Dubliners also regularly buy bananas, berries, tomatoes, potatoes, oranges, peppers, grapes, mushrooms, apples and onions in their weekly shop, the research found.
As for Sligo, consumers living there were found to buy a higher proportion of chillies and fresh herbs than the rest of the country.
