The Rising Sun, in Risbygate Street, Bury St Edmunds, formerly Casa and St Edmunds Tavern, reopens as Burlison Inns venue

After 14 years, the sun has risen on a town pub once again.

The Rising Sun, in Risbygate Street, Bury St Edmunds, will welcome back customers from 4pm today.

Burlison Inns acquired the venue, which was formerly Casa, in August, and at the same time announced its intention to restore its old name.

And more than just its name, the group has restored the site to its roots as a traditional, beer-led pub with a wide range of cask ales, craft beers, draught lagers and real cyders to go with a vast spirit collection.

Owner Gary Burlison held a soft opening for The Rising Sun on Tuesday, where his mum poured the first pint.

“We had a vision for the pub, to turn it into something traditional,” he said.

“However, the hard work starts now – we’ve got to communicate that vision to the people of Bury.”

Gary has kitted out the pub with a large range of traditional decor, as well as a variety of historic and vibrant brewery advertisements and memorabilia to give the feel of a classic ‘boozer’.

He paid tribute to the hard work of the Bury and surrounding area contractors who helped him and his group turn the venue around in such a short period of time and implement his vision.

The Rising Sun has eight cask ales and 10 craft beers, the majority of which will be on a rotational basis. It also stocks a range of bottled world beers.

Lucy Ratcliffe, who is the new manager of The Rising Sun, has worked in the industry for four years and said she is excited to see what the team at the pub can do and bring to the people of Bury.

She said: “They (Gary and his team) told me about their vision for the pub and I thought it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.

“They’ve done a fantastic job – this is what Bury has been crying out for. I’m excited to be part of such a wonderful team.”

And as for people who may be sceptical about The Rising Sun’s offering, Lucy said: “Just come down and give it a go and say hi. We’ve got a fantastic team on the bar and we’re really excited to see what we can do.”

The Rising Sun was renamed the St Edmunds Tavern by former owners Greene King before it shut in 2012, later going on to reopen as Casa in 2016 which itself shut in February last year.

It is Burlison Inns’ 15th venue. The group has been operating for 32 years, and its nearest pub to its new Bury site is in Cambridge.

The pub will be open seven days a week.