Kilkenny trout farm to scale up production after completing €1.68m investment

Goatsbridge Trout Farm has completed a €1.68 million investment which will see it improve efficiencies and increase production of its popular trout products at its Thomastown base.

The investment was supported with grant aid of €666,540 from the Brexit Processing Capital Support Scheme and the Brexit Sustainable Aquaculture Growth Scheme, administered through Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).

The two schemes combined will deliver up to €65 million in funding to the Irish seafood processing sector. Both are funded by the European Union under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve, and are recommendations of the Seafood Taskforce established by Minister Charlie McConalogue.

Mag Kirwan, who runs Goatsbridge with her husband Ger, said the investment— which included a factory extension, upgrading and introducing new state-of-the-art production lines and introducing solar panels — will transform the business which produces smoked trout, trout pâté, fish chowder and Ireland’s only caviar made from trout roe.

The investment will also protect the current 27 jobs in the business and hopefully increase the numbers employed in the next year.

“We are delighted with the new development. These upgrades will ensure greater production efficiencies and standards, as well as increasing our capacity to develop further value-added products,” said Ms Kirwan.

“It will also improve energy efficiency. As well as solar panels we have upgraded existing doors to improve temperature control in the production area, and added a blast chiller to improve the processing of products including caviar.”

According to Ms Kirwan, the investment will pave the way for the business to pursue its strategy to produce more high volume, high margin products to allow for increased domestic and overseas sales. As well as being available in Irish retail outlets Goatsbridge products are on sale in 400 Sainsburys outlets in the UK.

New solar panels will radically cut down on Goatsbridge’s energy costs.

“Due to climate change over the last number of years we find the temperatures in the water are higher and the water levels are lower, especially in the summer months,” Ms Kirwan said.

“If we do not allow for more oxygen and water recirculation our production capacity will be greatly reduced. But this takes up a lot of energy and the solar panels will have a big impact here. We aim to become carbon neutral in the coming three to five years.”

In recent years, Goatsbridge has focused on adding value to its highly sought after trout products. As well as suppling to the Irish retail and hospitality markets, and starting sales into the UK, it also supplies to wholesale which forms a large part of the business. Online sales are being developed.

BIM CEO, Caroline Bocquel, said: “It is great to see at first hand the positive impact of the Brexit Processing Capital Support Scheme on fish businesses including Goatsbridge. Mag and Ger have been true champions in the Irish seafood industry for almost 30 years and are constantly adapting and innovating and seeking to be more efficient.” 

In 2012, Goatsbridge developed Ireland’s first ever caviar – trout caviar - with support from BIM. Caviar is salted fish roe or eggs and regarded as a delicacy. 

Goatsbridge Trout Farm was started by Ger Kirwan’s father, Padraig, in 1961 when he created the first fish ponds on The Little Arrigle River in the heart of the Nore Valley. Ger and Mag took over the business in 2002.