Clandeboye to expand yoghurt production and create 13 jobs

Bangor-based SME has received £470,000 support from Invest NI for a new factory

Pictured (from left) are John Hood, director of food and tourism, Invest NI, with Bryan Boggs, general manager, Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt; Lady Dufferin, Clandeboye Estate; Mark Logan, estate manager, Clandeboye Estate, and Mark Bleakney, southern regional manager, Invest NI.
Pictured (from left) are John Hood, director of food and tourism, Invest NI, with Bryan Boggs, general manager, Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt; Lady Dufferin, Clandeboye Estate; Mark Logan, estate manager, Clandeboye Estate, and Mark Bleakney, southern regional manager, Invest NI.

Clandeboye Estate, home to Clandeboye Yoghurt, has announced it will invest more than £2 million to expand its yoghurt business and create 13 jobs.

The Bangor-based SME is building a factory on the grounds of Clandeboye Estate, which will help it to increase the production of its yoghurt and grow sales in international markets.

Invest NI has offered the company £470,000 support towards the new factory and machinery. The support towards the expansion will also enable the company to expand its team with an additional 13 jobs across a range of production and management roles.

Bryan Boggs, general manager of Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt, said: “As the only yoghurt manufacturer in Northern Ireland, our mission is to grow Clandeboye Yoghurt as sustainably as possible and to maintain the high quality of our natural yoghurt offering.

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“Over the last 12 years, Invest NI’s ongoing guidance has been invaluable to the growth of our company. Its support is enabling us to build a new factory and invest in specialist machinery.

“This will give us the capacity to produce up to 80 tonnes of yoghurt per week, over four times what we normally produce. All of this combined will help us to increase our export sales and expand in the British market.”

Making the announcement, John Hood, director of food and drink at Invest Northern Ireland, said food and drink companies generated more than £5 billion for the Northern Ireland economy last year.

“The sector has remained resilient throughout Covid-19 and it continues to be a major contributor to our local economy,” he said. “It is great to see companies like Clandeboye focusing on innovation to remain competitive and continuing to expand and invest.”

Colin Gleeson

Colin Gleeson

Colin Gleeson is an Irish Times reporter