A decade of growth, impact, and ambition
As Strong Roots celebrates its 10th year in business, Donna Ahern sat down with founder Samuel Dennigan to talk about why this milestone is more than a birthday - it’s a celebration of the role the brand has played in changing how people see and eat frozen vegetables
Print8 September 2025
As Strong Roots celebrates its 10th year in business, Donna Ahern sat down with founder Samuel Dennigan to talk about why this milestone is more than a birthday – it’s a celebration of the role the brand has played in changing how people see and eat frozen vegetables
As Strong Roots celebrates its 10th anniversary, the plant-based food company marks a decade of remarkable growth, international success, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovation.
Founded in Ireland in 2015, Strong Roots began with a clear mission: to increase vegetable consumption by offering tasty, accessible plant-based products that could sit proudly on any plate, regardless of dietary preference. What started as a small team has grown into a globally recognised brand, now a leader in its category across both the UK and Irish markets.
Rooted in agriculture
While Strong Roots is widely associated with the plant-based movement, founder Samuel Dennigan’s entry into the space was more pragmatic than ideological. Coming from a background deeply rooted in Irish agriculture and food distribution, Dennigan saw an opportunity to innovate within the food industry – not necessarily from a personal commitment to vegetarianism, but from a passion for quality produce and business potential.
“My beginnings in plant-based were because I knew a lot about vegetables and a lot about potatoes,” he explains. “Rather than having a mission against animal protein, I wanted to encourage people to eat more vegetables – regardless of what else was on their plate.”
Although Dennigan himself isn’t vegetarian, he estimates 75% of the meals his family consumes are plant-based. This flexible, inclusive approach has helped the brand resonate with a broad consumer base – not just vegetarians or vegans.
Building an international brand
One of the company’s earliest milestones was launching at the Ploughing Championships in the Irish Midlands. From there, Strong Roots quickly expanded into the UK market, followed by a successful entry into the U.S. It’s sweet potato fries went on to become bestsellers in both the UK and Ireland – a feat made more impressive considering the category didn’t even exist in Ireland when Strong Roots began.
The brand’s product line has since expanded well beyond fries, with innovation remaining central to its success. “We’ve always focused on offering formats that are exciting, tasty, and easy to prepare,” says Dennigan. “In Ireland, people historically had an aversion to vegetables because they were either boiled to death or bland. We wanted to change that.”
Strong Roots is now available from over 10,000 stores worldwide, including major retailers in Ireland, the UK, IRL, France, Canada, USA, Australia, Dubai, Iceland and Singapore.
A resilient growth story
Today, Strong Roots sells over a million packs a year in Ireland alone and generated €27 million in annual sales across the UK and Ireland in the past year. Its continued growth reflects a consistent consumer appetite for healthy, plant-based options – regardless of shifting trends in the broader market.
“We’re not seeing the kind of plant-based fatigue that some parts of the market are talking about,” says Dennigan. “The numbers don’t lie. More people are eating more vegetables, in more convenient formats.”
What’s more, the brand is no longer reliant on seasonal spikes like Veganuary or New Year health kicks. Instead, with a broader product range and diverse customer base, Strong Roots enjoys strong performance throughout the year, from back-to-school periods to festive seasons.
Founded in 2015, Strong Roots set out to reinvent frozen foods and has since grown to become one of Ireland’s most recognisable plant-based brands. In the past 12 months alone, Strong Roots has sold 1.1 million packs in Ireland, reflecting growing consumer demand for convenient, veg-forward frozen options. Year-on-year, the brand has achieved 9.4% value growth, and 30% growth versus two years ago, marking a remarkable journey from start-up to €27 million in annual UK and Irish sales.
“From day one, our goal was to create wholesome, plant-based meals that felt exciting again. We’ve launched over 50 products with vegetables at the heart,” he noted. Consumers want big flavours, convenience, and ease of preparation, and that’s what we have delivered, all while staying committed to sustainability through environmentally responsible product design principles.
A global partnership with McCain
One of Strong Roots’ most significant milestones came with its acquisition by global frozen food giant McCain Foods. The deal has unlocked new international opportunities, including expansion into food service and greater R&D capabilities. “It shows that big business can be built from Ireland, from very small beginnings,” says Dennigan.
Already, Strong Roots is working closely with McCain’s innovation teams to develop products for air fryers and food service – two of the fastest-growing segments in modern food consumption. “We’re trying to figure out how to bring more vegetables, in formats people recognise, into the McCain ecosystem and take them global,” Dennigan reveals.
Sustainability as a core value
Strong Roots is also a certified B Corp and takes its sustainability commitments seriously. The company first became B Corp-certified in January 2019 with a score of 83 and has since increased that to nearly 95 – an impressive jump for a company of its size post-acquisition.
Crucially, every team member across departments is tasked with having at least one sustainability goal. “It’s not about one team trying to do good – it’s part of everyone’s role,” says Dennigan. “We aim to do no harm and only good, and it’s literally written into our constitution.”
Looking ahead
As the brand looks toward the future, the vision is bold: to become Ireland’s next billion-dollar brand. Strong Roots has eyes set on further international expansion and is positioning itself as a long-term player in both retail and food service.
“We started this journey looking at Kerrygold as a model for how a brand can represent Ireland globally. Strong Roots can be the same,” Dennigan says.
Despite the global economic challenges, trade disruptions, and shifting consumer landscapes, Strong Roots remains confident in its ability to pivot and persevere. “There will always be hurdles,” Dennigan admits. “But we’ve built something that has weathered all kinds of storms already – and we’re just getting started.”
As the company returns to events like The Big Grill, (with the support of a social and influencer campaign featuring foodie influencer Marcus O’Laoire), where it began showcasing its products in its early days, it does so as a major force in global food innovation – still driven by the simple goal of helping people eat more vegetables and do so deliciously.
© 2025, by ShelfLife reporter
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