A new chapter for Irish flour milling

Ballycarney, County Wexford

Slaney Flour, a joint venture between Hemelter Ireland and Ballycarney Grain Ltd., today marks the start of work on a 300-tonne-a-day flour mill in Ballycarney, Co. Wexford. The mill will bring more flour production back to Ireland, closer to the bakers and food producers it serves

Why it matters

Ireland imports around 260,000 tonnes of flour a year, mainly from the UK, Germany and France. Producing more of it at home strengthens the whole bakery supply chain, with less dependence on imports and lower exposure to weather events and geopolitical risk.

Who is behind it

Hemelter Ireland is part of the family-owned Hemelter Mühle group, which has been milling flour in Germany since 1892. It has supplied flour to Irish bakeries for more than 20 years, currently around 40,000 tonnes a year, and operates five milling locations across Germany and Poland.

Ballycarney Grain is run by brothers Andrew and Raymond Kavanagh from their family tillage farm in Ballycarney. It sources, dries and stores grain from around 150 farmers across the South-East and provides an agronomy service from seed to harvest.

Speaking at today’s event, Peter Burke TD, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, said: “I am delighted to join the team at Slaney Flour today and their colleagues for the start of this very exciting venture, a milestone project for our indigenous food sector. Ireland’s bakery sector is a vital part of our economy, and increasing flour milling capacity within Ireland will further strengthen supply chains and resilience, while improving competitiveness.”

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, said at the event, “I am delighted to attend the commencement of construction of this new flour mill in Ballycarney, which marks a renewed ambition for Irish flour milling that speaks directly to the ambitions set out in Food Vision 2030. I hope this will contribute to greater food security, new opportunities for our tillage farmers, greater resilience in our food supply chain and a stronger connection between Irish agriculture, Irish enterprise and the Irish consumer. I wish Slaney Flour Mill every success in the years ahead and I look forward to seeing this site develop, to seeing more Irish wheat being turned into Irish flour, and to seeing that flour being used to produce high-quality products by our globally renowned agri-food industry.” 

Minister James Browne TD said, “This investment represents a significant vote of confidence in Ballycarney and the wider Wexford region, and the operation of a state-of-the-art flour mill will have a significant impact on the local economy. Wexford has a proud agricultural heritage, and this investment further reinforces the county's role as an important centre for food production, processing and innovation. This project is a real example of what is possible through collaboration, as we see two companies- an indigenous food producer working with international milling expertise and public sector partners demonstrating how local ambition, private investment and government support can work together to deliver transformative regional projects. Congratulations to all involved, and we look forward to seeing this project develop.”

Mark Christal, Executive Director, Enterprise Ireland, said: “Today's sod-turning marks the beginning of a significant investment in Ireland's food infrastructure, helping to safeguard Ireland’s food security. Enterprise Ireland is committed to supporting indigenous Irish exporters to start, grow and scale, and the Irish bakery sector generates an annual turnover of approximately €1.1 billion. We are proud to support this project, developing a state-of-the-art flour milling facility, which will have a great impact in the south-east and the wider indigenous food sector.” 

Ends

About Slaney Flour 

Slaney Flour is a joint venture between Hemelter Ireland and Ballycarney Grain Ltd., building a modern flour mill in Ballycarney, Co. Wexford. Named after the River Slaney, the business is rooted in the surrounding Wexford farming community. 

Rooted in Wexford. Milled for Ireland.

Media Contact - Slaney Flour

Marc Cordesmeyer, Director

marc.cordesmeyer@slaneyflour.ie

www.slaneyflour.ie

Images of the mill render and the ceremony are available on request