Jose Cuervo plans £30m Bushmills expansion

Jose Cuervo has submitted a planning application for a £30 million expansion of Bushmills distillery to “effectively double production capacity”.

Jose Cuervo has submitted a £30m planning application to expand the Bushmills distillery

The move comes a year after Jose Cuervo bought Bushmills from Diageo in return for full ownership of Don Julio Tequila.

If approved, the expansion is expected to create as many as 20 new jobs – adding to the distillery’s current 150 full-time and agency staff.

It is also expected to generate approximately £3m of capital expenditure at the distillery every year for the next 10 to 15 years

The application also details plans for a new tourism and visitors’ centre, with an aim to produce a “world class” facility.

The planning committee of Causeway Coast and Glens Council will now consider the proposals.

The planning document, which spans 34 pages, reads: “The new distillery facility will effectively double production capacity at the Bushmills site.”

It continues to state: “OBD (Old Bushmills Distillery) is at an early stage in planning a new tourism offering showcasing the best of Bushmills and Ireland through a world class visitor centre.”

Earlier this year, Russian Standard vodka owner Roust Inc. took over as distributor for Bushmills in Russia, before later also taking over distribution for the Irish whiskey brand in Italy.