# Wine, Beer & Spirits up North



## Murt10 (19 Oct 2005)

I'm thinking of going up to Newry to get the Christmas booze in. Anyone done this lately? Is it worth it? What are the main savings on etc

Also, is it worth going further than Newry or where is the best/cheapest place to buy and can you give directions.


Murt


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## Guest127 (21 Oct 2005)

can only talk about beer. yesterday got 8 bottles 330cc superbock (5.6%) for £6, 8 bottles 330cc of coors lite  (5%)for £5.98 and 8 bottles of  300cc of grolsh  (5%)for £5, total price for the 24 of £16.98 and it worked out on credit card  just over €25. I live only about 10 miles from newry so can pop up and down when theres no crowds there like Saturdays when you would think you were in Grafton street on Christmas Eve. during the 'troubles' parts of Dundalk got nicknamed 'little belfast' newry should be nicknamed 'little dublin'  Have to say though that the staroslav beer in aldi at 1.69 for 500cc is super. anyone else think this is staropramen beer by a different name? was in prague a few years ago and staropramen was the beer of choice. Think this Aldi beer is one and the same.


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## CPAMG (21 Oct 2005)

Have a look round here Murt10.

I use it to guage(sp?) prices.  

Of course its just one store but it gives you a good ideas of prices.


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## Murt10 (8 Nov 2005)

Just back from Sainsburys in Sprucefield. 

Bottle of Wolf Blass Yellow label £7.99 stg = E11.82     
Same bottle in Tesco Dublin E12.99

500 mls draft Guinness (multipack) £1 stg = E1.48 
Tesco Dublin = E1.72

Bottle of Jameson 700cc £12.99 stg = E19.22
Tesco Dublin= E24

Bushmills 10 yr old malt = £17.99 = E26.62 (this was a special offer and was £5 cheaper than their usual price)

BTW the Laser card wouldn't work. According to the girl on the checkout they don't accept laser. Master Card - no problem.

Given the time involved in travelling from Dublin and the amount of petrol consumed it's back to Tesco next year for me. 

One thing that surprised me was the quality of the roads. 30 years ago people used to complain about the standard of roads in the South and praise the ones in the north. After leaving Sprucefield, we hit well over 6 roundabouts and the roads wern't great, before getting back into the South. We took a wrong turning at two of them. Once on the M1 on the South, the next stop is the toll bridge and the next stop after that was pulling off the Motorway at the M50.


Murt


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## brokeparent (8 Nov 2005)

It may yet be a little early for the Christmas specials. Sainsbury's is hard to beat from past experience with the best deals  in the Newry shop as they are marketing to the cross border market. They have in the past offered a very good rate on the euro so it is worth buying in cash if this is offered. I have never had Laser accepted anywhere outside the Republic. Towards the end of the month I expect sweets, biscuits and some alcohol will be at a bigger price differential than those quoted above. Watch out though because many items are not cheaper and the tendency is to get carried away and buy these as well. The queues also have to be factored in when thinking on going on a pre Christmas shopping rampage - and that is on the road before you ever get to the shop. Last year we went into Sainsbury's in Newry about the middle of Dec (Sunday). They closed the doors of the shop about 12.00 as there were so many people in it. After a few minutes I walked out with nothing as it was so uncomfortable. You really do want to need that saving to suffer for it!!


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## Murt10 (8 Nov 2005)

Thanks for that but in relation to cards I have had laser accepted in Spain & Portugal. I even managed to use it in Boston this summer.


Murt


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## Guest127 (8 Nov 2005)

as a Dundalkie I have said this on many occasions. Newry is not Mecca. Its ok for some things but not for others. I bought my drinks last weekend in Dunnes stores Dundalk ( 5  Dunnes stores  in Newry) using discount vouchers printed off pigsback. Theres are now 3 Dunnes stores in Dundalk  However when I am stocking up I may go to Newry but not Sainsburys. Maybe Sainsburys in Armagh as  it's out of the way and theres no big crowds ( LA will testify to that). As proof that there's life south of the border a new shopping centre opened in Dundalk last Thursday. Its bigger than the quays and as big as buttercrane maybe even bigger. Why would developers bother with this if everyone in Dundalk hopped across the border each week? We don't but maybe the prices are keener than elsewhere in the south. Don't know.


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## TarfHead (8 Nov 2005)

Murt10 said:
			
		

> Just back from Sainsburys in Sprucefield.



Snap. We were in The Quays today, Went more for variety than value and did very well. They were accepting Euro cash @ 0.68. There were many other non-Nordys in the shop at the time and many of them were buying loads of a narrow product range - mainly booze. I assume they had done their research first.



> BTW the Laser card wouldn't work. According to the girl on the checkout they don't accept laser. Master Card - no problem.
> Murt



If your Laser has a Maestro or Cirrus logo on the back, then it _should_ work. Mine was declined in the O'Neills shop and at the Sainsburys ATM. I was annoyed about this until I got home again and realised I was overdrawn .

From the Airport exit from the M1 to the car park in Newry was one hour - not too shabby. Going midweek was certainly worth it. The girl at the Sainsburys checkout said that Fridays and Saturdays there from now to Christmas would be unbearable.


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