Cocktail Keg Company clinch Musgrave distribution deal
An award-winning Northern Ireland cocktail company has signed a deal worth more than £500,000 with Musgrave Northern Ireland, creating nine new jobs in the process.
Cocktail Keg Company clinched the distribution partnership with the leading food and drink wholesale company, whose retail brands include SuperValu, Centra, Mace and Musgrave MarketPlace, as well as drinks company Drinks Inc.
Paul Burns, who owns the company with fellow mixologist Anthony Farrell, said: “We are very excited to be in partnership with Musgrave, which will substantially increase our off-trade business. Musgrave is Ireland’s leading food retail, wholesale and food service company, and this partnership demonstrates how our business is going from strength to strength.”
Musgrave NI Trading Director Julie Cherry added: “Musgrave spends £160 million on local food and drink each year and works in partnership with 150 local suppliers. This latest partnership is a further example of our commitment to supporting local and we are looking forward to offering this premium brand to our customers.”
Anthony Farrell, above, explained how the company, which been supplying bars and restaurants with premium, handmade cocktails since 2017, saw its main trade wiped out overnight when Covid hit – prompting a change of direction.
He said: “We had to look at other options and this enabled us to focus on distributing to off sales. There was significant demand for established cocktails such as Espresso Martini, Bramble and Strawberry Daiquiri, so we began selling through shops and online deliveries.”
Winning the contract with Musgrave NI has led to the creation of nine new jobs and the company has moved its sales and development staff team to the Innovation Factory on the Springfield Road while retaining production at Bankmore Square.
Majella Barkley, Centre Director at Innovation Factory said: “Cocktail Keg Company is an innovative business that has used the challenges of the pandemic to explore fresh ideas and techniques to meet a rapidly changing business environment.”
Innovation Factory is owned by Belfast City Council and operated on their behalf by Oxford Innovation. The £9.1m business hub was funded by Belfast City Council and Invest NI with support from the European Regional Development Fund.
For more information on the Innovation Factory visit: www.innovationfactoryni.com
