The company behind a new distillery and visitor centre at Belfast’s Crumlin Road Goal has secured a deal to export nearly 10,000 bottles of whiskey to South Korea.
Belfast Distillery Company will supply its McConnell’s Irish Whiskey through Goldenblue, a distributor in the south east Asian nation, and said it hopes to grow further in the region in coming years. It adds to the other 30 destinations the company exports to around the world and comes just months after it announced plans to invest some £22 million in developing a new distillery in the former A Wing at the infamous Belfast jail.
“This Korean agreement marks a significant milestone for our business,” Dessie Roche, Commercial Manager at Belfast Distillery Company, said. “Relationships and personal connections are a very strong part of the Korean culture and we utilised the in-market knowledge of Invest NI’s team in Seoul to build a relationship with Goldenblue which has helped us secure our first entry into Korea and ultimately bring our product to this significant new market.
"We very much look forward to building on this success in Korea and other international markets in the future.”
Invest NI said the deal is an example of the opportunities in South Korea, where it has recently established a team.
“Its (Belfast Distillery Company’s) success showcases the scale of opportunities available to Northern Ireland businesses which is why we have chosen this as an area to expand our presence.
"Our in-market team in Seoul are ready and on-hand to work in partnership with Northern Ireland companies to help grow their exports and I would encourage local companies to get in touch and see how we can support.”
Minister of State for Northern Ireland Steve Baker MP, visited the Invest NI team in Seoul last year and congratulated Belfast Distillery Company on the deal which was helped by the province’s New Deal funding.
“New Deal funding is helping to promote some of the unbelievable talent and expertise that Northern Ireland has to offer and I hope the brilliant success of the Belfast Distillery team can help inspire others to take advantage of the opportunities offered by Invest NI’s new international locations.”
