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- By John Campbell
- BBC News NI economics and business editor
The Thompson Dock pumphouse has become the home of Titanic Distillers
The manufacturing of whiskey and tea may sound like something from Northern Ireland’s industrial past.
But this week businesses in those sectors unveiled millions of pounds of investment aimed at developing new markets.
In Belfast’s Titanic Quarter the first whiskey to be distilled in the city in more than 90 years will soon flow.
Titanic Distillers have converted the Thompson Dock pumphouse into their distillery.
Titanic Distillers director Peter Lavery wants the distillery to become a visitor attraction
The pumphouse was effectively the control room for the adjacent dry dock and the distilling equipment has had to be carefully fitted around the protected industrial heritage structures.
The aim is to distil about 1,500 barrels a year though the liquid which will soon be produced there will have to mature for another three years before it can be called whiskey.
The intent is also to make the distillery a stop on the Titanic Quarter tourist trail.
“It’s going to be both,” said director Peter Lavery.
“We’re distilling for export around the world and we will also be a visitor attraction.”
The Causeway Distillery at Bushmills is the result of millions of pounds of investment
On the north coast, Northern Ireland’s biggest and oldest distillery Bushmills has officially opened a substantial extension known as the Causeway Distillery.
Their company Proximo has pumped about £60m into the Bushmills business in the past five years, with most of that being invested in the 39,000 sq ft extension.
The new operation is focused on increasing production of high-end single malts.
Colum Egan believes the quality of whiskey produced by Bushmills gives it a prime position in the market
“There is real premiumisation in the Irish whiskey category,” said master distiller Colum Egan.
“Bushmills are very fortunate to have aged single malt.”
If whiskey is not your preferred tipple then a business in Lisburn can offer a nice cup of tea on an industrial scale.
Suki Tea was founded almost 20 years by Oscar Woolley and Annie Irwin, with a mission to develop the market for high-quality loose-leaf teas.
Suki Tea’s new factory allows the company to increase its production of loose-leaf tea
They started out with a stall at St George’s Market in Belfast and have just opened a new factory in Lisburn from which they can serve export markets such as Poland.
“It immediately doubles warehouse capacity,” said Ms Irwin.
“The production space is enough to grow for the next 10 or 20 years.”
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