A famous Co Antrim hotel is offering guests a chance to try “premium whiskeys and fine wines” at a new venue in the grounds.
The Dunadry Hotel has restored the building’s original cellar, turning it into what they are describing as a “whiskey experience.”
Owners of the hotel McKeever Group believe that the growing popularity of Irish whiskeys around the world, and the hotel’s growing number of international guests, will make the new venture successful.
The company, which has run the Dunadry Hotel for over a decade, has spent £100,000 and five months renovating the basement area.
The Dunadry has a long history. It occupies the same ground as an ancient fort, and the current building was originally a paper mill and a linen mill.
It was turned into a hotel in 1966, and was run as by the Mooney Group from 1986 to 2017. McKeever purchased the site that year for an undisclosed fee.
A new ‘whiskey experience’ has launched at the Dunadry hotel
Eddie McKeever, the managing director of the McKeever hotels group, said: “Ireland has seen an explosion in terms of whiskey production over the last 10 years, with over 40 distilleries now exporting nearly €1bn of top-class products across the world each year.
“We wanted to be part of this revival and share in the widespread appreciation of our national spirit on our home turf.
“The renovation of The Cellar not only breathes new life into our historic building but also supports our local distilleries and artisan producers.
“The end result is an eclectic mix of the best Irish whiskeys with fine wines from the world’s top producers, all served in a charming yet sophisticated environment.
“Of course, it’s not just about the products and the setting. Our ‘we do more’ ethos equally applies to our Cellar experience, with staff fully trained to ensure they are knowledgeable across our entire ranges and equipped to deliver expert advice and service.
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Malachy McCollum, who is operations manager at the Dunadry and oversees the Cellar, said: “Much of this project has been driven by the changing needs of our guests and visitors – from the seasoned whiskey enthusiasts to the curious newcomers – and also from our corporate clients.
“The Cellar caters for all, offering bespoke whiskey tasting experiences, while also showcasing the rich diversity, depth and quality inherent in Ireland’s vibrant whiskey sector.”
Whiskey has become an important export indsutry on the island of Ireland. The Irish Whiskey association estimated that exports passed €1bn in value in 2022.
The money to be made has revitalised dormant areas of the industry, with Titanic distillers, the first new whiskey distillers for almost nine decades in Belfast, opening in 2023.
McKeever Group reported a turnover of £15m in the year ending September 2023.
The increase in cash flow has been accompanied by an expansion in business activity. The group purchased the Lodge Hotel in Coleraine, and took over the running of it earlier this summer.
The company now runs six hotels, and employs 298 staff. It has stayed family-run, with all of it’s directors being members of the McKeever clan.