tayto factory tour craigavon

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Tayto Factory

Tandragee Castle Main Street, Tandragee, County, Armagh BT62 2AB

www.tayto.com

(028) 3884 0249

[email protected]

Tayto Castle in the Ulster countryside is where the terrific Tayto crisps are made. The castle is over 500 years old and was originally the home of the O’Hanlon clan, one of the mightiest and most powerful clans in all of Ireland. In 1619 King James I of England confiscated the castle from the O’Hanlon’s because they took part in a rebellion against Hugh O’Neill in County Tyrone. The ruins of the property were then passed into the hands of other families and became the home of the Duke of Manchester in the 1800’s.

In 1955 the castle needed repair and was bought by a visionary local businessman, Thomas Hutchinson. In 1956, he had the clever idea to make a new potato product called crisps, and started making Tayto crisps, creating one of the world’s best loved brands of crisps and snacks. Tayto became one of the first companies to sell different flavours of crisps with Smoky Bacon and Prawn Cocktail being two of the most popular as well as Cheese and Onion.

On the Tayto Factory Tour visitors will get the opportunity to meet Mr Tayto and experience the full magic of Tayto and see how our fantastic crisps and snacks are made. Pre-booking is required.

An enduring feature of Tayto has been Mr. Tayto, the brand’s lovable mascot. He’s a well-known and well-loved face across Northern Ireland and has travelled all over the world promoting Tayto, starring in many of his own advertisements.

Tours are conducted on Monday to Thursday 10.30am & 1.30pm and Friday at 10.30am only. The factory is closed on public holidays e.g. Christmas, Easter, May Day Bank Holiday and 12th July etc.

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Tayto Tours

Tayto Tours - Crisp Factory Tour in Tandragee Tayto Castle in the Ulster countryside is where the terrific Tayto crisps are made. Visitors will get the opportunity to experience the full magic of Tayto. They will get to see how our fantastic crisps and snacks are made and even meet Mr. Tayto. Join one of our Tayto Tour Guides as they guide you through our modern and fully operational factory to see first-hand how locally grown potatoes turn into our famous crisps. Walk with them as you follow the spud’s journey down the production line, through the flavouring station, and straight into one of our iconic packets, with, of course, some sampling along the way.

Opening times

Monday - Thursday: 10:30 & 13:30 Friday: 10:30 Starting 01/01/2024 Finishing 31/12/2024 Monday: Open from 10:30 to 12:00, from 13:30 to 15:00 Tuesday: Open from 10:30 to 12:00, from 13:30 to 15:00 Wednesday: Open from 10:30 to 12:00, from 13:30 to 15:00 Thursday: Open from 10:30 to 12:00, from 13:30 to 15:00 Friday: Open from 10:30 to 12:00 Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed BankHoliday: Open

https://www.taytotours.com/book/

Tayto Tours Craigavon Co Armagh BT62 2AB

Attractions in Co Armagh

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Tayto Factory Tour

"The taste of home - according to Tayto"

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• Northern Ireland

Tayto Factory Tour

• Tayto Castle, Tandragee, Craigavon , Northern Ireland   BT62 2AB
• 02838840249
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About This Attraction Suggest an Edit

Suitable for visitors aged 5 and above, this wonderful tour at the home of Tayto crisps is a great place to bring your snack loving little ones! The tour last s one hours and 30 minutes and you will learn about the history of Tayto crisps and how they have grown through the years. You will receive a free bag of crisps at the end of the tour.

Suitable For

Claire’s Tip

Opening Times

Monday – Thursday 10.30am & 1.30pm Friday 10.30am

Price Information

• Adult: £12.50
• Child: £8.00

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How To Get There

• Tayto Castle, Tandragee, Craigavon, Northern Ireland BT62 2AB

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Tayto NI Crisps & Snacks Factory Tour

Come and see how Tayto Northern Ireland's factory produces its famous crisps and snacks and even meet Mr Tayto himself.

For safety reasons visitors must wear fully enclosing footware (no sandles), and items of jewellery must be removed before the tour. The use of cameras and mobile phones on the tour is prohibited. Advance booking is essential.

Restrictions: As this is an operational factory, children under 5 years are not permitted. Those aged 16 or under must be accompanied by an adult.

The Tayto NI crisp and snack factory is located in Tandragee, 10km (6 miles) south of Portadown. Click the map pin icon to view the location on a map.

Factory tours take place on a limited schedule. Click the "More info" button below for more details and to place a booking.

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Tayto Tours - Crisp Factory Tour in Tandragee

Tayto Castle in the Ulster countryside is where the terrific Tayto crisps are made.

Visitors will get the opportunity to experience the full magic of Tayto. They will get to see how our fantastic crisps and snacks are made and even meet Mr. Tayto.

Join one of our Tayto Tour Guides as they guide you through our modern and fully operational factory to see first-hand how locally grown potatoes turn into our famous crisps. Walk with them as you follow the spud’s journey down the production line, through the flavouring station, and straight into one of our iconic packets, with, of course, some sampling along the way. 

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• Accept children (Minimum age)

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• Gift vouchers
• Groups accepted
• Online Booking
• Prior Booking Required

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Tel 02838840249

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Opening Times

* Monday - Thursday: 10:30 & 13:30 Friday: 10:30

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Tayto Factory Tour

Opening hours.

9:30am - 7pm

Explore how the nation’s favourite crisps are created on this self-guided tour. Through unique viewing windows, get an intimate peek at the plant. You’ll undoubtedly learn some of Mr. Tayto’s most closely kept secrets.

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Tayto Set To Resume Famous Castle Tours For First Time In 4 Years

Tayto is set to resume the famous crisp tours of Co Armagh factory for the first time in four years.

After shutting down during the pandemic, the iconic Northern Irish crisp brand is set to relaunch next month, just in time for the summer.

Visitors will soon have the chance to tour the castle and the factory, where more than 250 people work with the capacity to make a million packets of crisps every day.

Over 500 years old, the castle was originally the home of the O’Hanlon clan, one of the mightiest and most powerful clans in Ireland. In 1955, a visionary local businessman, Thomas Hutchinson, bought it and decided to make a new potato product called crisps.

Speaking on reopening the castle tours, Elly Hunter, Marketing Director, Tayto, said: “We had to close early in 2020 due to lockdown, and we are incredibly excited to be in the position to reopen our doors.”

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According to her, the tours have created at least five new jobs and will offer visitors “a real treat”. In her words, “Following a NI wide search for tour guides, we’re delighted to report that we have found some incredibly enthusiastic people to join the Tayto team and ensure visitors have the best time possible when they’re with us.”

The Tayto tours attract visitors from all over and are popular with school groups, colleges, universities, clubs, societies, and family groups. The tours accommodate all ages, from 5 upwards.

Elly said, “We’ve welcomed people from all over the globe, with a large number from GB, Canada, the USA and as far away as Australia and South Africa. People will go a long way for Tayto crisps. It’s lovely to see families on the tour, and more often than not, mum and dad did the same tour when they were children. It’s very touching to see them passing on the tradition.”

On what to expect from the experience, the Marketing Director said visitors will enjoy the process of making the popular crisps and more.

“The Tayto factory is located within the grounds of a 500-year-old castle in Tandragee,” she said. “A truly unique and stunning setting for everyone who comes to see us. On a tour, visitors will see firsthand how our famous crisps and snacks are made and get the chance to meet Mr Tayto. They will see the production process from start to finish, witnessing the transformation of our local potatoes into packaged, delicious Tayto crisps. They will also see how our snacks and popcorn are made.”

Tayto Tours will resume on May 7, 2024, with two tours daily from Monday to Friday.

The post Tayto Set To Resume Famous Castle Tours For First Time In 4 Years appeared first on Craic Buzz NI .

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Tayto factory tour.

• Description

‘Set deep in the heart of the Ulster countryside in Tandragee is Tayto Castle where Tayto crisps and snacks have been made for the past 60 years. A ‘Taste of Home’ our products have been a big part of growing up in Northern Ireland.

Established in 1956 and still owned by the same family – the Hutchinsons, we pride ourselves in employing local people and using local ingredients and materials to produce great tasting crisps and snacks for everyone to enjoy. In our 60th year, we are also proud to support Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016.

Within the Castle is a closely guarded room where the unique Tayto Cheese & Onion flavour is made to the same recipe as it has for the last 60 years. Only a very select few know the secret recipe which has been carefully passed down to the current day.

We select the finest, specially grown potatoes and gently cook until golden, we then add our specially selected delicious flavours which ensure that Tayto crisps taste like no other, irresistible every time.

Come and visit us at Tayto Castle to see for yourself how our crisps and snacks are made and meet our very own Mr.Tayto - why not book a tour today?’

We have fully guided factory tours here at Tayto Castle 5 days a week and you even get to meet Mr.Tayto! These magical tours have been awarded a 4* tourist attraction rating by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board – the highest rating ever awarded to an existing facility.

Tour Prices

From March 2006 there will be a charge for Tayto Tours. The prices are:

• £7.50 Adults
• £6 Students / Senior Citizens 
• £5 Children (age 5-16) (N.B. You must have 1 adult for every 15 children)
• Every group of 15 children 1 adult goes free.

About The Tour

We welcome visitors to our factory and can accommodate up to 45 visitors per session. All children have to be 5 years of age or older and we cannot admit children under 5 years of age. The tour is suitable for people in good health but is not suitable for those who have difficulty managing stairs. The tour lasts for approximately one hour 30 minutes and visitors should expect to be walking for around one hour. While you are on our premises your safety and well being is our number one priority and as such visitors are required to wear sensible shoes and we do not allow people to wear open toed sandals or high heels in our factory.

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THE FAMOUS TAYTO CASTLE TOURS REOPEN

Northern Ireland’s iconic crisp brand, Tayto, has announced the reopening of The Famous Tayto Castle tours, just in time for the summer.

The relaunched attraction, which has created at least 5 new jobs, is at the Tayto factory in the grounds of Tayto Castle, where over 250 people work with the capacity to make 1,000,000 packs of Tayto every day.

Elly Hunter, Marketing Director, Tayto, said: “We had to close early in 2020 due to lockdown and we are incredibly excited to be in the position to reopen our doors.

“Following a NI wide search for tour guides, we’re delighted to report that we have found some incredibly enthusiastic people to join the Tayto team and ensure visitors have the best time possible when they’re with us.”

Tayto tours have attracted visitors from far and wide and are especially popular with school groups, colleges, universities, clubs and societies, together with family groups, and can accommodate all ages from 5 upwards.

Elly continued: “We’ve welcomed people from all over the globe, with a large number from GB, Canada, the USA and as far away as Australia and South Africa. People will go a long way for Tayto crisps.

“It’s lovely to see families on the tour and more often than not mum and dad did the same tour when they were children. It’s very touching to see them passing on the tradition.”

Visitors to The Famous Tayto Castle are in for a real treat.

“The Tayto factory is located within the grounds of a 500-year-old castle in Tandragee”, continued Elly. “A truly unique and stunning setting for everyone who comes to see us.”

“On a tour, visitors will see firsthand how our famous crisps and snacks are made and get the chance to meet Mr Tayto.  They will see the production process from start to finish, witnessing the transformation of our local potatoes into packaged, delicious Tayto crisps. They will also see how our snacks and popcorn are made.

“We are so looking forward to welcoming visitors back once again and introducing a new generation of Tayto fans to our famous Tour.” concluded Elly.

Tayto Tours will be running from 7th May. There are two tours daily from Monday to Friday. Places are limited so you need to book ahead online at  www.taytotours.com . 

Visit  www.tayto.com  to find out more about Northern Ireland’s favourite crisps.

TAYTO – OUR STORY

Founded by Thomas Hutchinson in 1956, our family owned business selects the finest potatoes and uses local ingredients to produce great tasting crisps and snacks for everyone to enjoy a  #taytohappy  moment! 

‘Tayto Castle’, which is over 500 years old is in Tandragee, Co.Armagh. Within the Castle grounds is a closely guarded room where our distinct flavours, including our world-famous Cheese & Onion, are made to the same recipe since the beginning.

Our crisps are enjoyed (and seen) all over the world and we’ve some very famous fans including Jamie Dornan, Eamonn Holmes, Derry Girls, Ant & Dec, Snow Patrol and many more!

• Tayto is NI’s leading crisp brand with over 35% market share
• 1 in every 4 packets of crisps sold in Northern Ireland is Tayto Cheese & Onion
• The company was formed in 1956 by the late Thomas Hutchinson
• The company started with a workforce of 6 people
• On our first day of productions 972 packets of crisps were produced
• Tayto now employs over 350 people
• Tayto is capable of producing 1 million packs of crisps & snacks per day
• Tayto uses over 20,000 tons of potatoes each year
• Tayto uses 3000 litres of oil every day in the production of crisps & Snacks
• Tayto’s most popular flavour is still cheese & onion
• Tayto’s most popular Snack is Bikers
• Tayto has agents in several countries and exports to the USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, Bahrain, Andorra, with ongoing enquiries from other countries round the world
• Tayto now distributes to 43 different countries around the world via online sales to customers in Brazil, Malaysia, Jamaica, Oman, Syria, Vietnam and many more

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Castle extension proposals would see Tayto tours make return to Tandragee

Richard Burden

[email protected]

Thursday 13 April 2023 11:48

TANDRAGEE’S world-famous Tayto Castle could be set to undergo an extension.

And the move is being planned in the hope of bringing back the popular public tours which have largely been on hold since pre-Covid days.

The crisps and snack giant has drawn up proposals which it hopes will facilitate the safe return of visitors.

Staff are also central to the plans which will see some infrastructural changes made to the historic castle which sits at the top of Tandragee’s broad main street overlooking the town.

The proposals have come forward in the name of Mr Stephen Hutchinson, of Tandragee Developments (Castle) Ltd, with McCreanor and Co Architects, of Plantation Road, Portadown, listed as agents.

The application has now been received by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, where officials have already written out to statutory agencies seeking responses to the proposals.

It is listed building consent which is being sought to allow the works to proceed.

The detailed plans point to the intention to undertake “alterations, conservation and extension” work at the existing factory.

This would see the formation of a new lift and access to the first floor, as well as the provision of sanitary facilities at ground floor level; works comprise the erection of a two-storey lift and stairwell extension, as well as the replacement of a number of existing windows and doors and internal alterations, including the provision of sanitary accommodation.

The prominent site of the castle at The Square in Tandragee was once the stronghold of the O’Hanlon Clan.

The castle was burnt during the O’Hanlons’ ill-fated attempt to repossess it during the 1641 Rebellion.

The Montagu family took ownership of the site in 1822, upon the marriage of the Duke to Millicent Sparrow; indeed, planning officials have been advised that the ceiling panels in the entrance hall still display, in oils, the coats-of-arms of the families formerly connected with the castle.

Tandragee Castle was re-built by the 6th Duke of Manchester, George Montagu, in the baronial style around 1837.

The Montagu family connection with Tandragee ended, however, in 1955, when the 10th Duke sold the castle to local businessman Thomas Hutchinson, who began his potato crisp production there in 1956.

The house was occupied by the Hutchinson family until it was gutted by fire in the early 1970s.

According to a design and access statement which accompanies the listed building application, the outbuildings and stable yard were initially renovated and converted to crisp production.

But they have since been used almost universally for office and administration accommodation.

The modern factory buildings were first opened in 1978 with various subsequent alterations and extensions.

It was in the mid-1980s that Tandragee Castle was afforded listed status, as a building of “special architectural and historic interest”.

Having already studied the proposals by the owners, ‘Historic Environment Division: Historic Buildings’ has advised council officials they are “content in principle” that the intended changes satisfy planning policies.

But this is “subject to receipt of further information” on replacement flooring and “proposed secondary glazing for existing multi-pane cast ironwindows”.

HED have indicated they would be “happy that these are agreed on site” - in conjunction with ABC Council - prior to the actual works starting.

The plans are necessary, according to the owners, to allow Tayto Castle once again to throw open its doors - (or should we say gates!) - to the public.

The tours are popular with school groups and visitors from around the world who want to get a glimpse of where the crisps - one of Northern Ireland’s most-loved ‘tastes of home’ - are made.

Indeed, some big names have passed through the doors at Tayto for the guided tour, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has declared himself a huge fan of the unique taste when he dropped by in late 2019!

Just months later and Covid turned everything - for everyone - on its head.

Now, however, the Hutchinson family hope to get the tours back up and running with a bang and have set sights on making improvements to make it happen.

The design and access statement explains: “Prior to Covid, Tayto provided tours of the crisp factory for members of the public, especially organised tours from various schools.

“These tours ceased during the Covid restrictions and have not recommenced.

“Tayto now intend to restart the tours as soon as possible and hope to provide a better experience for all members of the public.”

The proposals involve works to an existing relatively modern store.

The aim here is to “provide a more visually attractive congregation space where groups can be organised before they tour the factory”.

This large shed was put in place in the early 1970s and infilled an area that was once part of the external courtyard.

The statement adds: “The long-term plans are to replace the roof and rendered front wall of this utilitarian shed with a more appropriate structure.

“However, as an interim measure, to allow the tours to recommence as soon as possible, we intend to carry out minimal works to the existing structure.”

Further works will see a ‘blocked-up’ collonade re-opened with arches - once filled in - also re-opened to “restore them to their historic appearance”.

Works will also be carried out to the former external perimeter courtyard walls; windows ‘re-exposed’; and concrete floor and underground drainage repaired within the store.

Some internal layout alterations are proposed, which include the provision of “male, female and a unisex accessible toilet”.

In terms of meeting the needs of visitors and staff, a new lift is proposed.

The access statement explains the need thus: “The factory processes are spread out over a number of floors but the majority of the processes take place on the ground and first floor.

“The property currently has no lift access to the upper floors so, to date, universal access has been restricted to the ground floor only.

“In addition, the existing canteen for the employees is on the first floor and is therefore not accessible by all.

“The applicant seeks approval for lift access to the first floor of the factory to improve accessibility for the workforce and to allow those on the Tayto tour to experience the full range of processes that go into making the crisps.

“The location of the proposed lift and associated stair and disabled refuge area has been carefully considered. To reduce alterations to the existing historic fabric a decision was taken at an early stage not to provide these within the historic building.

“Also, the factory is a very intensive working environment and, to ensure there is minimal disruption, it was decided to accommodate the lift and stairwell in a new extension accessed off the modern factory building.

“It is proposed to access the lift and stairwell off the existing modern two-storey ‘link’ corridor which separates the historic building from the main factory. This is the ideal location for operational reasons and its location also ensures that it does not adversely affect the character of the listed building.

“It is at a junction between the offices, the factory and the canteen. It avoids the office staff entering the sterile area of the factory floor and it allows people to discharge directly to the outside in the event of a fire.”

In addition, the plans show that an existing modern double height glazed screen is to be removed, while a new two-storey flat roofed brick extension is to be built, which will be “separated from the rear stone wall of the historic courtyard buildings by double height glazed elements”.

Planning officials - who will make a recommendation to committee after considering all the facts to hand and responses from consultees - have been told the works are necessary to ensure the “long-term sustainable use of the building”.

The design statement concludes: “They (proposals) will not adversely affect the character of the listed building and minimal historic fabric is to be removed as a result of the works.

“The works will ensure that the necessary sanitary facilities are provided and that universal access is provided to the first floor of the building.”

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