FOOD
INNOVATION
Investing in
Irish Whiskey
Expansion
plans
Looking to expand its
product range, Finnegan’s
took advantage of support
from the Boyne Valley Food
Hub to make the most of its
potatoes.
P
The Cooney Family, founders of Boann Distillery
Pat Cooney has been a pillar of the Irish drinks
industry for over 40 years and now he’s finally
realising his ambition of building his own whiskey
distillery – and he’s giving investors an opportunity
to be a part of the story.
W
hen Pat Cooney sold
part of his drinks
company, the Gleeson
Group, in 2012,
he took the opportunity to set up
his own whiskey distillery, Boann
Distillery, in Drogheda. Always a
canny businessman, along with the
distillery, he set up a craft brewery,
and with the two companies he kept
from Gleeson, he now has a stake in
each of the pillars of the Irish drinks
industry: whiskey and white spirits,
cream liqueurs, craft beers and craft
ciders.
“Making whiskey is a capital
intensive business,” says Cooney.
“It’s three to five years before you
can actually bottle and sell anything
called whiskey. You have to wait a
long time to see a return so you
need to be in the business for
something other than that. You need
to have an ambition and a passion
for it. But the potential is enormous
– Irish whiskey is the fastest growing
spirit in the world. And after 60 years
or so, I’m bringing distilling back
to Drogheda in a state of the art
building in an iconic setting at the
gateway of the Boyne Valley, one of
the most historical and mythological
heritage sites in Europe. The
distillery and visitor centre will also
make a significant contribution to the
development of the growing tourist
industry in the Boyne Valley and
Ancient East.”
At Boann Distillery, the traditional
art of distilling whiskey is done in a
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thoroughly modern glass building
and the distilling itself is a clever
mix of the traditional and modern.
“We’ve added a technological twist
to our pot stills – the lyne arms have
nanotechnology, which exposes the
spirit to six times more copper than
the traditional still. We also have
reflux cooling in the necks, which
lets us control the reflux, allowing us
to make different styles of whiskey in
the same still. The whole process is
computer controlled. Some people
still have great faith in the old manual
system but we have computer
management from start to finish
ensuring a consistently high quality
from one distillation to the next.”
Boann Distillery is setting aside
the first 500 barrels of whiskey
distilled as a ‘lifestyle investment’.
Investors can go to the distillery,
distill, barrel and mature their own
whiskey; decide which barrels to
finish it in, what whiskies to use to
make their own blended whiskey.
Boann will also bottle a number of
bottles each year for the investor
to personally enjoy or use as the
ultimate personal gift. In 3, 10 or 15
years or anytime in-between, each
investor will have his own unique
whiskey with his own signature label
and style of whiskey. This truly is
a once in a lifetime opportunity to
be a part of the great story of the
renaissance of Irish Whiskey.
For further info please visit
[email protected] or
www.boanndistillery.ie
aul and Joe Finnegan of E
Finnegan & Sons are awardwinning potato specialists
who grow and
pack their produce on
the family farm in the
Boyne Valley, Co Meath.
With over 500 acres,
the farm is able to
ensure a steady supply
of top quality produce
to retailers nationwide
throughout the year.
Understanding the
need to expand to
ensure its continued
success, Finnegan’s
recently introduced
a new range of Irish
chilled chips, wedges
and baked potatoes,
with the produce
sown, picked and
packed on site, with a
Homegrown
innovation
Progress is as vital to the
Meade Potato Company as
the rich, fertile soil in which
the company’s produce is
grown.
Eleanor Meade, Business
Operations Manager,
Meade Potato Company
number of potential potato products
ready to launch in the near future.
Instrumental in the development of
these new ranges was the support
and advice from Gary O’Meara of
the Boyne Valley Food Hub.
“The Boyne Valley Food Hub is
a world-class platform to help our
business grow and develop,” says
Paul Finnegan. “This state-of-the-art
research and development facility is
of paramount importance to farming
and food producing companies
looking to improve their operations.
It will be the foundation for food
producers in the region to expand
from a local level to national and
international levels.”
Paul and Joe Finnegan,
co-owners of E Finnegan & Sons
S
pecialising in potatoes
and carrots, Meade Potato
Company grows, packs and
delivers potato, fruit and
vegetable product ranges to retailers
around Ireland. A family business for
over 30 years, they are as committed
to sustainability and innovation as
they are to top quality produce.
“Sustainability is in our DNA,” says
Eleanor Meade, Business Operations
Manager. “Our goal from day one
has been zero food waste and we
have a fantastic relationship with
Crosscare Commu