A new whiskey distillery and visitor centre is set to open in Belfast in 2023 after a £22 million investment at the historic Crumlin Road Gaol.
Belfast Distillery Company plan to regenerate the A Wing of the former prison into the J&J McConnell’s Distillery and world-class visitor experience. The project, set to be completed in Autumn next year, will create 49 new jobs.
The Department for Infrastructure has provided Belfast Distillery Company with the lease to develop its distillery within the historic Grade A listed building. The Department for Communities and Invest Northern Ireland have provided a combined £1.9million of support towards the project.
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Speaking to Belfast Live, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey said: "It is one of the oldest whiskey brands that was created in Belfast and has ceased production so it is great that we are now making whiskey and distilling it here in the heart of Belfast again.
"This is an investment of over £22 million that is being invested and I am glad my department along with Economy and Infrastructure are here today to view the project and that we've been involved in making sure that it can get off the ground. It's a good day for Belfast and beyond.
The distillery will extend over three floors offering 1,000 sq. m. of distilling floor space and 1,700 sq. m. for the visitor centre, with plans to host over 100,000 visitors each year. Visitor experiences will include whiskey tours, cocktail masterclasses, a tasting bar and shop.
John Kelly, CEO of Belfast Distillery Company and North Belfast native added: "The opportunity to bring whiskey tourists here to Belfast is great not only for ourselves but for the local community and for Belfast in general. We will be employing up to 49 people, a combination of full-time, part-time and seasonal roles so that will be contributing to the overall economy here in North Belfast."
This project is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth and Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) Programme.
Economy Minister Gordon Lyons explained: "The landscape has changed completely over the last 15 to 20 years in terms of our tourism offering. In Northern Ireland, this is another fantastic benefit for Belfast and we know from our research that tourists who come to Northern Ireland love to taste, they love to see, they love to experience and they love to hear the stories of the places they are visiting.
"There is a great history and a great story to be told in this wider area and I look forward to tourists being able to enjoy it when it opens next year."
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