Warehouses dedicated to Lawrence FC Hussey

The Hussey family has signalled its intent to become a major rum player and investor in the parish of Trelawny, by expanding its ageing warehouse facilities.

Over the last ten years, demand has grown for Hampden rum products which have been produced from the Hampden Estate since 1753.

In order to meet the demand, an ageing warehouse was built a few years ago as the Husseys went about expanding the distillery.

With increasing projected volumes, another ageing warehouse is being currently built with a completion date set for the end of this year.

Constructed by Tank Weld, it will span 16,000 square feet and house an additional 5,000 barrels. This now means that with the two warehouses, Hampden’s storage capacity will move from 2,700 to 10,000 barrels.

The warehouse facilities will be dedicated to the family patriarch the late Lawrence F.C. Hussey who was a renowned businessman and horse racing trainer.

This is a success story that sees a Jamaican family building both a local and international business with indigenous materials in collaboration with French and Italian global distribution partners, La Maison & Velier.

Speaking with Our Today from the Hamden Estate in Trelawny after the naming ceremony, managing director Andrew Hussey said: “The story of Hampden never really ends. It continues and we are just a small part of what started hundreds of years ago. We are doing our part and preparing for generations to follow what we have done.

 “This investment is driven by the demand for Hampden Rum and we encompass the community in everything we do here. When we expand we employ more people and it is a win-win for everyone.”

The Hampden Estate employs 160 people.

Christelle Harris, head of marketing and a director of Hamden Estate, added: “Hampden Estate is a representation of Jamaican heritage. We were given the gift and responsibility of preserving that heritage. We now share that heritage with the world.

 “We have made a concerted effort to stick to production methods exactly as they were. We want to be a representation of what Jamaica has to offer. There is a misconception in Jamaica that distilleries are against each other and there is no reason for that to happen. All the distilleries are producing significantly different products. I want people in Jamaica to understand the diversity of what we have here.”

Though a family-run business, Christelle Harris made it clear that the significance of foreign investment here cannot be discounted.

 “However, where we have Jamaican-owned and operated products reaching international markets through a partnership with international entities, we should hold on to that as much as we can because when you are producing value-added products in this capacity, you are able to transform communities and lives.

 “There are only two distilleries in Jamaica that are 100 per cent Jamaican owned and operated and if I may say so they are the most interesting and important because we produce rum using only 100 per cent pot stills,” explained Christelle Harris.