A new distillery and visitor centre in County Down is set to create 42 jobs in the latest development for serial entrepreneur Dr Terry Cross.
He has invested £15 million in the new 30,000 square feet Hinch Distillery, expanding its whiskey and gin production with the addition of a visitor centre to draw tourists.
The company itself has been in operation since 2016 and now exports its products to 25 countries around the world. It has secured distribution deals in countries including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, the US, France and Germany and said that many more partnerships with drinks distributors elsewhere are in the pipeline.
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Hinch Distillery was formed in 2016, shortly after Dr Cross sold Delta Packaging, the West Belfast packaging company he founded, to Finnish company Huhtamaki.
It produces a range of whiskies as well as Ninth Wave Irish Gin which took Double Gold and the Gin of the Year trophy at the China Wine and Spirit Awards.
Dr Cross said the latest investment marks a milestone for the business.
“Today marks a very proud moment for myself and the team who have finally realised a blueprint that is set to make its mark on the Northern Ireland tourism map and the global drinks industry,” he said. “We would like to thank Invest Northern Ireland for its support and guidance so far. Its financial support and marketing assistance has been instrumental in our success to date.”
Economy Minister Diane Dodds announced the investment on Invest NI’s behalf.
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“The visitor centre is an impressive new tourist attraction where visitors can learn about the distillation process used to produce the company’s products. Northern Ireland is known globally for our great hospitality along with the pure natural quality of our produce.
“Investments like these will help us sow the seeds of recovery and rebuild our economy following the impact of the pandemic. The hospitality and tourism industry has been especially impacted so I am delighted to be here today to be able to celebrate this investment, and I want to congratulate Terry and his team and wish them every success.”