Food Enterprise Zone Leitrim

Food Enterprise Zone Leitrim is Ireland’s first food enterprise zone, a new visionary concept and innovative approach which will act as a premium location magnet for new food start-ups and relocating food businesses. Drumshanbo is now well recognised nationally as a Town of Food. It is a town that has come from crippling unemployment blackspot status to a position of leadership in regional economic development that has specialised in the food sector to transform its prospects.

Our company history is rooted in Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim which has relied on food sector employment for generations. Under the leadership of Drumshanbo Community Council CLG, The Food Hub has earned its status as an economic development powerhouse and changemaker realising :-

• Over 35,000 st ft of food infrastructure facilities providing independent food grade work units with over 110 employees on site
• Collaboration zone for regional food sector co-working and events
• Culinary and food product training and development centre for the food sector in the Northwest/border region. Host for 3rd level Sligo IT student work placements in food science
• HQ for Taste Leitrim, Leitrim’ s network of 80 food and drink businesses.

With The Food Hub at full capacity, a new entity Leitrim Food Enterprise Zone CLG, was formed to purchase and repurpose a long vacant/unused chicken processing plant, BFN Foods, into a smart scaling hub for food. Officially opened in November 2000 as an IDA facility, it closed just months after its official opening in Spring 2001. The building was purchased from the IDA in September 2002, however, it remained vacant for 19 years, an eyesore and lost opportunity in the community.

Leitrim Food Enterprise Zone CLG was awarded Enterprise Ireland REDF 2 funding in 2018/19 to purchase and renovate the building to realise 5 independent food units and create employment for 70 people.

Building contractors went on site in October 2021 and our transformation is underway: