A new bar aiming to "offer something different" by serving speciality Belgian beers has opened in Bury St Edmunds.

Vespers is a Belgian beer bar run by father and son team Max and René van den Oort, who also run Beautiful Beers on St John's Street.

They offer more than 50 bottles of speciality Belgian beers alongside 15 draught beers - a selection manager Max described as "unrivalled".

The bar is open from noon until 11pm from Wednesday to Sunday and is situated in the town centre on St Andrew's Street.

The father-son duo decided to open the bar in the 11th year of running their popular shop to give their customers the opportunity of enjoying their products in a bar environment.

Max said: "We're offering something different. It gives locals the chance to enjoy Belgian beer without having to travel to Norwich or Cambridge - they can stay right here in Bury St Edmunds."

Max became more involved in the running of the shop when they transitioned to fulfilling online orders during the pandemic.

He said: "People kept telling us we should open a bar in Bury, so we said 'Okay - let's go for it!'"

Max made a few recommendations including Brugse Zot, a blonde beer which is light and slightly sweet.

They also stock a number of "historically important" beers brewed by monks from 12 different Trappist breweries at monasteries across Europe.

On a short-term basis, the bar is offering American beers to celebrate independence day on Monday, July 4.

Since its soft launch last weekend, Vespers has been at its busiest in the mid to late afternoons.

They have five staff members in total and, while they do not offer food just yet, patrons can use food delivery services to enjoy alongside their drinks.

Max added: "We wanted to explore this niche and create an atmosphere where our patrons are encouraged to talk about what they drink, to both the bar staff and other patrons."