William Grant & Sons is set to close the Tullamore Dew visitor centre in Ireland next month putting 14 jobs at risk of redundancy.
The family-owned company plans to move the Tullamore Dew visitor centre to the Tullamore Dew distillery next summer in order to create a “premium whiskey tour and experience”. William Grant & Sons said the decision was also due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the tourism industry.
The Tullamore Dew visitor centre, located in County Offaly, Ireland, opened in 2012 and welcomes around 35,000 to 40,000 visitors annually.
William Grant & Sons has invested more than €100 million (US$117.1m) over the last few years to bring the malt, pot still and grain whiskey production to one location at the Tullamore Dew distillery, which currently employs 90 people.
Gary Moore, the Tullamore site leader, said: “Through our plans to relocate the visitor experience to the distillery, with its new state-of-the-art facilities, we will be in a better position to provide a new rich and immersive experience for our visitors.
“We remain committed to the town of Tullamore and, through our proposal to create a new visitor experience, we look forward to continuing to do our part to boost the local economy in the years ahead.”
In our September 2020 issue, The Spirits Business explored the impact the pandemic has had on Irish whiskey tourism.
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Author: Melita Kiely