Business

Larchfield Estate invests £150,000 into new event space

Owner of Larchfield Estate, Sarah Mackie, pictured with the Chairman of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s Development Committee, Alderman Allan Ewart MBE outside Larchfield’s newest event space, The Old Piggery, which will be used for guests to dine, meet or experience tailored workshops. The Old Piggery will also be available to book for private onsite workshops with the first already confirmed for Saturday 12th October, which will see Larchfield Estate join with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s 2019 Food & Drink Programme to host a series of ‘Learn To’ workshops – Visit www.eventbrite.co.uk for tickets
Owner of Larchfield Estate, Sarah Mackie, pictured with the Chairman of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s Development Committee, Alderman Allan Ewart MBE outside Larchfield’s newest event space, The Old Piggery, which will be used for g Owner of Larchfield Estate, Sarah Mackie, pictured with the Chairman of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s Development Committee, Alderman Allan Ewart MBE outside Larchfield’s newest event space, The Old Piggery, which will be used for guests to dine, meet or experience tailored workshops. The Old Piggery will also be available to book for private onsite workshops with the first already confirmed for Saturday 12th October, which will see Larchfield Estate join with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s 2019 Food & Drink Programme to host a series of ‘Learn To’ workshops – Visit www.eventbrite.co.uk for tickets

LARCHFIELD Estate near Lisburn has invested £150,000 to convert a Lanyon-designed building on the estate into a new event space called the Old Piggery.

Owners Sarah and Gavin Mackie say it will become an area for groups staying overnight on the estate to dine, meet or experience tailored workshops.

It has maintained its original features and the space has been completely transformed and will provide both overnight guests and corporate public groups the opportunity to gather together for breakfasts, strategic meetings and high-end dining within the stunning country surroundings of the estate.

The Old Piggery will host its first event on October 12 when it joins with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s 2019 Food & Drink Programme to host a series of ‘Learn To’ workshops.

The council's development committee chair Allan Ewart said: “Larchfield Estate’s new experience room will be a great addition to the council area and will offer an exquisite, intimate event space within stunning surroundings for businesses and private groups both locally and further afield.”

The Old Piggery is just one of the event spaces within the estate that will host the various workshops and will offer attendees hands-on and interactive experiences.

Sarah Mackie said: “We see ourselves as custodians of the estate, passing through and preserving the heritage of Larchfield for future generations and we are delighted to be able to add another event space to our ever-growing offering.

“It's important to us that as many people as possible get to experience Larchfield Estate and we believe that investing in The Old Piggery as an additional event space will encourage many more corporate and consumer groups to visit.

“We also want to thank the Lagan Rural Partnership Local Action Group for providing the estate with a Rural Development Grant which has contributed to the successful development of The Old Piggery.”

Sarah and Gavin have successfully hosted weddings, functions, corporate events and group retreats for over a decade with profits enabling the couple to continually reinvest in on-site projects.

Since their ownership of the property began in 2007, the Mackies have invested more than £1.5m into improving the estate and hope to continue investing to protect the heritage at Larchfield for many years to come.

Their investment has allowed redecorating and restoring cottages to provide overnight accommodation for group stays, planting thousands of trees, developing their superb gardens, adding The Orangery, as a new reception area to the Larchfield Barn.