A bird in the hand might be worth two in the bush — but a wedding party you’ll never forget is only a fiver a head at The Bush!

The Bush Tavern in Ballymoney, Co Antrim has become famous for it’s recession-busting £5 a pop wedding bashes, the brainchild of owner Craig Black.

Craig said: “It kinda just happened when a couple came in to inquire about the venue for a party and I said, ‘Well we can do a fantastic buffet for £5 per head’, so it just snowballed from there and we have now had weddings and many birthday parties.”

The function room can seat up to 80 guests including space for entertainment and a dance floor.

And with a great sound system installed throughout the pub, it’s great for live bands, a DJ or even your own iPod, which is what most of the party bookers do.

But there is much more to the bar than their budget weddings, it was easy to see from my visit that this cracking little bar has pride of place in the local community.

As soon as I arrive its clear why the locals enjoy being here, it’s so relaxed and you really could be anywhere, you certainly feel at home.

The front bar has a beautiful fireplace which is original and dates back to 1854 and it gives the impression you are sitting in someone’s front living room.

Craig joked: “We usually have it lit all through the winter but with this summer we are getting I may have to light it now.”

The bar has an after-work crowd in who are eager to start their weekend. The customers range in age from teenagers to pensioners, making it a real family bar, and Craig and his bar manager Dozy (Anthony McQuigg) know every customer who walks through the door by name while we are there. Dozy said: “Our customers are loyal, they keep coming back, so we are doing something right. It’s a safe environment to be in and we make sure its always relaxed.”

Customer Cedric Hargan added: “I drink here for the craic, no-one takes anything too seriously and you can truly relax.”

And it seems this is the case for some of the customers, as there is a ‘wall of shame’ proudly displayed behind the bar of pictures of customers who have dozed off while in the pub.

“No-one is safe, if you doze off you are 100 per cent guaranteed to be on the wall of shame the next day,” Cedric laughed.

And for such a small bar there is a lot of staff and that's to cater for the amount of locals that will arrive within the next few hours when I was there.

Craig said: “Sometimes we will have six staff on at the weekends because we are so busy. We don't have a high turnover of staff, they seem to enjoy working here.

“And there are no burly bouncers or door staff, the only rules for the customers are that everyone must carry ID and please and thank you will take you a long way.

“We have live music every Friday and Saturday night and the place is bunged.”

And live music and great beer is not the pub’s only attraction, Craig is very proud of the fact that the bar is welcoming to all throughout the religiously mixed town.

He said: “That never comes into it, I don't care what religion you are or your background just as long as you’re coming in for a good time”.

Customer Vincent Duffy said: “For me it’s the best bar about, I always have a good night here and that's down to the great staff and the relaxed atmosphere.”

And Shane Akinson added: “This bar is known for its friendly staff and customers, I’ve been drinking here from when I was 18, that's 15 years and I’ve never had any hassle or trouble here."