Find out all you ever wanted to know about Coca-Cola with a trip to the Lisburn Visitor’s Centre

Following a revamp after the pandemic lockdown, the Coca-Cola Visitor's Centre at the Lisburn factory has reopened, giving visitors a glimpse behind the scenes at the whole process.

Reporter Julie-Ann Spence recently paid a visit to the Lisburn factory to take a look around the Visitor's Centre and find out just what is on offer for groups who want to take advantage of the free tour at the Lisburn site.

Having lived in Lisburn my entire life, the first shock for me when arriving at the Coca-Cola factory was the sheer size of the place. Tucked into Lissue Industrial Estate off the Moira Road, you would never guess this massive factory, with its 550 staff, bottles Coca-Cola brand drinks for the entire island of Ireland.

The bright modern building is a welcome sight and the visitors centre is another hidden gem in the city that is well worth a visit.

At the newly revamped visitor’s centre you can learn all about the history of Coca-Cola, first created by John S Pemberton in 1886 and served at Jacob’s Pharmacy.

The brand was brought to Lisburn in 1939 by local businessman Mr Tom Robinson, with the bottling plant first established in Hilden before moving to the modern facility at Knockmore Hill in 2010.

But you will learn much more than just the history of the company, you will also see first hand the bottling process, and find out how the bottles we enjoy every day are created from tiny specks and are blown up into the shape we all recognise.

As well as finding out about the bottling process, which includes a vast array of everyone’s favourite beverages, not just Coke in all its varieties but also Fanta, Sprite, River Rock Water, and even the popular Monster Energy Drink, visitor’s can also have fun at the interactive centre – have a go at table football, shine like a star on the karaoke stage, and find out even more about this global brand.

And did you know the recipe for Coca-Cola is a closely guarded secret? In fact it is said that only two people in the entire world know the recipe!

Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Cllr Kurtis Dickson, officially reopened the Visitor Experience Centre recently.

He commented: “Coca-Cola HBC has a proud history in the Lisburn and Castlereagh area, and the newly reopened Visitor Experience is a welcome addition that will give people the opportunity to find out more about CCHBC’s history in an engaging and interactive way.

“As a business whose brand is recognised in every corner of the world, the importance of community is clearly something that remains so important to Coca-Cola HBC, and I have no doubt that the Visitor Experience will be a great asset.”

Tom Burke, Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Director at Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, added: “We’re so excited to be welcoming visitors back through our doors once more.

“Whether you have visited us before or would like to see how your favourite drinks are produced and distributed for the first time, there is something for everyone."