Plans for espresso and cocktail bar in Bury St Edmunds

An espresso and cocktail bar is planned for the former Intersport shop in Whiting Street, Bury St Edmunds.

It is the dream of Catherine Moriarty who ran a coffee van at events and festivals in and around Bury St Edmunds for a couple of years.

Catherine, who lives in Bury, says the cocktail bar in the basement area of the premises will focus on cocktails, aperitifs, digestifs and gins with some bottled beers.

Cakes and cookies will be sourced locally and be gluten and dairy free.

The bar will be called Moriarty’s and would see the former sports shop converted into an espresso bar and cocktail bar.

Catherine is currently applying for a drinks licence and further planning matters.

The drinks application requests licensing from 11am to 9.30pm for most days of the week.

Fridays and Saturdays drinks would be served until 11.30pm.

The premises would be open from 8am and the basement area used for serving alcohol and light bites.

Catherine, who works in office management, says the business would be ‘a fully plant based offering’ with vegan alcohol.

She said of the espresso bar: “I don’t want this to be just another coffee shop.

"Everybody will be welcome. There will be a relaxed atmosphere and it will be table service with a nice area for people to come in and have a conversation."

Intersport had run in the town for many years.

It closed in 2018 but continued to operate from Moreton Hall until owner Ian Dalrymple decided to retire this summer.