By Gordon Deegan
Post-tax profits at Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery School last year decreased by 7% to €86,876 as costs increased.
The renowned east Cork cookery school business sits on a 100ac organic farm and last year continued its recovery from Covid-19 shutdowns as accumulated profits increased to €2.82 million.
The business continued to record profits last year on the back of the school’s flagship in-demand 12-week cookery course.
There is a waiting list for the school’s next three scheduled 12-week courses in September and January and April of next year.
The cost this year for the course is €13,795 rising to €14,495 for 2024.
Ballymaloe Cookery School
The school – majority owned by Darina Allen – stages three 12-week cookery certificate courses each year.
The profits of €86,876 for 2022 and €93,670 for 2021 follow post-tax losses of €193,097 during Covid-19 hit 2020.
Director at the school and shareholder in the business, Toby Allen said: “Ballymaloe Cookery School is very happy to have made a profit for the year 2022.
“It was a busy year and while the school was not quite up to full capacity after the pandemic, we were very busy and welcomed 180 12-week students and over 1,200 other students from all over the world to the school to learn how to cook.
“2023 is thankfully looking like another busy year and our 12-week course for the year is fully subscribed.”
The 12-week course attracts a sizeable international contingent and on the most recent 12-week course which ran from April to July, the school welcomed students from 14 different countries.
On the challenges facing the business, Allen said: “The increase in cost of electricity and gas has been challenging for us to keep under control, but we got a good fixed deal from our supplier allowing us to have certainty in these costs.”
As the school returned to full capacity last year, its staff costs, net of Covid-19 wage supports, doubled from €1.07 million to €2.2 million as staff number increased by three to 66.
The profits last year take account of non-cash depreciation costs of €148,184 while directors’ pay rose from €243,989 to €288,665.
The firm’s cash funds reduced from €1.73 million to €1.27 million.