07/06/2012

£10m New Whiskey Distillery For Londonderry

The north west of Northern Ireland is set to benefit from a £10m boost when a new whiskey distillery is built.

Londonderry company Niche Drinks, founded 1983, will invest the millions in a distillery on the outskirts of the city.

Niche Drinks, formerly St Brendan's Irish Cream Liquer Company, hopes to change its current Rosdowney Road site into a supermarket and move the whole company to a custom-built factory with distillery at Campsie.

It is hoped the investment will create construction and manufacturing jobs, as well as securing the jobs of 60 current employees.

Bosses at the firm are in talks with Invest NI about the new factory, which is planned for a greenfield site owned by the agency.

SDLP MP for Foyle Mark Durkan said the news heralded a "very welcome investment by a local company of proven performance" and would usher in expansion for the "quiet local success story".

Whiskey distilled at the new site will allow Niche Drinks to move away from having to buy it in from other companies for their Irish Cream tipples, which include the brands Ballycastle and O'Grady’s.

It might also allow the firm to launch a new brand of whiskey.

Niche liqueurs also include coconut rum, schnapps and a range of ready to drink cocktails.

Their products are exported to the US, Scandinavia, Russia and countries in Europe and their clients in the UK include Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s Tesco, Aldi and Asda.

(NE)

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