IPSWICH: Pub closures have become the order of the day in recent years - but a small Ipswich brewery is today planning to buck the trend by opening up a new watering hole in the town.

St Jude’s Brewery, based in Cardigan Street, has been producing beer since 2006 but is now aiming to branch out and open its own pub in St Matthew’s Street in the former Olun Mills photography studio.

And despite the volume of bars closing across the country, owners Frank and Colleen Walsh are confident their new venture - St Jude’s Brewery Tavern - will be a success.

“It’s in the perfect location”, said Mrs Walsh.

“There’s not many other places in this area of town that do real ale, and there should be lots of people coming past on match days.”

The building requires structural work and will be fitted out with traditional pub furniture.

The couple plan to open St Jude’s Brewery Tavern before the end of the year.

“We always planned to open our own pub, it’s the next step when you’ve got a brewery like this,” said Mrs Walsh. “We want to re-install confidence in people that pubs can survive these days.”

The couple have estimated the cost of opening the tavern to be around �25,000.

They won’t be relying on food to survive, serving only Indian and English snack foods and allowing customers to bring in takeaways. With 18 beers and real ales available when the pub opens, Mr and Mrs Walsh said they anticipate it will be a popular venue for hop lovers.

n What do you think about the recent trend of pubs closing in Suffolk? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk