AWARD-winning venison producer Finnebrogue has officially opened a new £25 million food processing plant on its sprawling estate near Downpatrick.
The facility will give Finnebrogue, which has been making artisan food for two decades, additional capacity to build on its success in terms of new product development and sales outside Northern Ireland.
First Minister Arlene Foster endorsed the project yesterday and praised Finnebrogue Artisan for its "well deserved and long standing reputation for quality and innovation".
She said: "The company's dedication to excellence has ensured that they are now a very highly respected major player in the UK food industry.
"By continually innovating and developing premium products, Finnebrogue, with the support of Invest NI, has been able to respond to new market trends and opportunities across the UK."
Finnebrogue chairman Denis Lynn said: “It was always my plan within the new build to automate wherever possible, to remove people from mundane tasks, so we could invest heavily in people in roles that truly make a difference to the product quality to support our phenomenal growth.
"I was also determined to build a facility where the ancillary areas such as the Roof Garden café, were a delight for the team to spend time in”.
As well as a highly efficient modern processing facility, a food development centre was constructed at the heart of the building, housing a creative kitchen, sensory panelling area and full scale pilot plant validating the businesses commitment to creating quality food.
Kenton Hilman, head of corporate and property banking at Ulster Bank, which supported the investment, said: “Finnebrogue Artisan is a strong example of Northern Ireland’s pioneering development in the field of agri-food.
"Their devotion to quality and innovation has provided them with considerable success as one of Northern Ireland’s fastest growing businesses, and Ulster Bank is delighted to be able to play a part in assisting with that continued growth.”
