BELFAST usually takes the focus when it comes to the rising price of alcohol in Northern Ireland, but leaving the city is no guarantee of a smaller bar tab.
Take the award-winning Galgorm resort in Ballymena, where the current drinks menu offers a 500ml bottle of Kopparberg cider for the price of £10.
This compares to £6.15 at the Merchant Hotel’s bar, The Cloth Ear, in Belfast or just £2.35 from supermarkets.
Other options for bottled beer and ciders on the Galgorm’s menu include £8.80 for a 330ml bottle of Peroni, or £8.40 for a non-alcoholic version.
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The parent group for the Galgorm announced its profit and turnover had doubled in recent years.
The Galgorm Collection enjoyed a post-Covid rebound with revenues doubling from £22.7m in 2021 to £45.1m in 2022, with pre-tax profits up from £3.2m to £7.6m.
As well as the Ballymena resort, the group’s portfolio also includes The Rabbit Hotel in Templepatrick and The Old Inn in Crawfordsburn.
The Galgorm resort has also invested more than £60m since 2010.
Most recently, this included £3m for a new ‘Forest Dens’ offering for visitors with plans to extend the experience to a Thermal Spa Village with forest walks, wood-fired sauna and hot tubs.
The Galgorm has been contacted for a response.
