Ballycotton Seafood to invest €1m in facilities

Adrian and Diane Walsh of Ballycotton Seafood in their fish shop in Garryvoe.

Ballycotton Seafood in East Cork is to invest more than €1m in upgrading its production facilities at its headquarters in Garryvoe.

The firm employs 40 people across its processing activities, smokehouse, food preparation kitchen and three shops in Garryvoe, Midleton, and the English Market in Cork City.

Two chefs work daily in the commercial kitchen in Garryvoe, preparing the company's range of ready-to-eat meals.

Adrian Walsh, who runs the business with his wife Diane, said the investment would add a more efficient automation system, upgrade fish processing equipment, improve traceability and expand the smoked salmon operations. 

He said there had been a significant increase in demand for their products following the pandemic. 

“Having improved processing capabilities and production capacity will help us move up the value chain and add value to fish through filleting, cooking, freezing and smoking. 

"The investment in automation and processing is vital and will ensure more efficiencies and a streamlining of our operations.” he said.

The investment is supported by a €300,000 grant under the Brexit Processing Capital Support Scheme. 

"We had a healthy export business to the UK which was heavily impacted following Brexit. That was a very tough time and we had to look at different markets. We ramped up sales in Ireland and we are also doing exports to France," Mr Walsh said.

The scheme was recommended by the Seafood Taskforce and is implemented by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, funded by the European Union under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.