Titanic Pumphouse set for new lease of life as distillery
Titanic Distillers is investing £7.6m to create a new distillery and visitor centre close to the birthplace of the famous liner.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The historic Titanic Pumphouse in Belfast is set for a new lease of life as a distillery.
The company, Titanic Distillers, is investing £7.5 million to create a new whiskey distillery and visitor centre close to the famous liner’s birthplace.
It will regenerate the historic pumphouse beside the Thompson dock which Titanic once graced, and also create 41 jobs.
It is planned to open in November, and will include the installation of three large stills on a mezzanine floor overlooking the original pumping engines.
All of the original pump equipment and associated internal features of the building will be retained.
Economy Minister Gordon Lyons welcomed the move as he visited the site in the east of the city on Thursday.
“I’m pleased to see Titanic Distillers’ investment coming to life at this historic pumphouse today. Once the redevelopment is complete, the distillery will produce quality single malt Irish whiskey, contributing to the growth of Northern Ireland’s whiskey cluster,” he said.
“By making such a significant investment, this local start-up has already been able to increase its global sales and is now set to provide an exciting new tourism offering for Belfast and Northern Ireland.”
Richard Irwin, director of Titanic Distillers, described a “significant global market opportunity for Irish whiskey”.
“We’re already seeing great success for our Titanic Distillers Premium Irish Whiskey in retailers throughout Great Britain,” he said.
“With significant investment in a dedicated distillery, we’ll soon be able to produce and bottle our own products on this historic site and build on our success to date to grow in global markets, with an initial focus on the US.
“We’re very excited to embrace the history of our distillery’s location to create a unique product and visitor experience in a World Heritage Site, immersed in the spirit of Belfast’s industrial and maritime past.”
Invest Northern Ireland has provided support towards the creation of the 41 jobs and property assistance towards the redevelopment of the pumphouse.
Ten jobs are already in place and recruitment is under way, with operations, distilling, hospitality and sales opportunities available.
Invest NI interim chief executive Mel Chittock said a lot of people come to Northern Ireland for the whiskey heritage, and said this new distillery complemented existing distilleries at Crumlin Road Gaol, Hinch Distillery and Bushmills.
“In total we now have 10 distilleries producing a mixture of either whiskey or vodka or gin across Northern Ireland which is fantastic news,” he said.