Nine Suffolk businesses which have opened this year including Vino Gusto in Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill's Loot Drop

Months on from when the last of the UK's Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were lifted, businesses in Suffolk are flourishing.

While some shop premises in town centres remain empty, many have been filled as customers continue to support their local High Street.

But where have new businesses opened? And what are they offering to members of the public?

Here are nine premises which have started trading in Suffolk this year.

Vino Gusto, Bury St Edmunds

After starting as an online business in May 2020, Vino Gusto opened its first standalone store in Bury St Edmunds.

Located in Hatter Street, the new shop offers wine tasting courses and exams as part of a more 'immersive experience'.

The shop is part of the Gusto Pronto brand, which also owns The One Bull in Bury and The Cadogan in Ingham.

There are over 500 different wines available for customers to purchase, with some found in the cellar.

You can find out more about the shop here, or read our experience of one of their wine tasting events.

Boathouse Bar and Grill, Sudbury

A riverside bar and restaurant in Sudbury was given a new lease of life earlier this year.

The Boathouse Bar and Grill, in Cross Street, opened in March.

Formerly known as The Riverside Bar and Restaurant, owner Darren Pratt, who used to run Easterns Nightclub, said he hoped it would become a destination for families.

While the focus is on the restaurant side of the business, the premises does also have six guest rooms to let, with future plans to provide canoes for people to rent.

The Kitchen @ Felixstowe

Opening in May, The Kitchen @ Felixstowe has proven popular with customers after taking two years to build.

The café is part of the continued redevelopment of the town's seafront, with the new premises costing £1.5 million to construct.

Run by Cameron and Claire Marshall, owners of The Kitchen @ Group, the café is fitted with a contemporary design, and offers seasonal changing menus, breakfast, sweet and savoury treats, as well as local-based fish dishes.

Mark Jepson, mayor of Felixstowe, said: “I am absolutely delighted to see the official opening of this wonderful addition to the South Seafront area.

“I hope it will play an important role in helping the town’s continued recovery from the economic impact of Covid-19 by attracting local people and visitors to enjoy its food, drink and incredible seafront views.”

Loot Drop, Haverhill

Married couple Hinn and Francesca Lau brought something different to Haverhill this year with the opening of their board game store.

The couple took over the former British Heart Foundation shop, in the High Street, in April.

Hinn, 32, has been a collector of cards and figures for the majority of his life, and decided to turn his hobby into a business.

Among the cards inside include Pokemon, Digimon, Yugioh, Warhammer and Magic the Gathering.

Morrisons, Bury St Edmunds

Supermarket chain Morrisons opened their first store in Bury St Edmunds this year.

The new Morrisons Daily shop, in the Hardwick Shopping Precinct, was converted from a McColl's.

It was converted as part of the brand's move to complete 450 daily stores by the end of this year.

World of Play, Ixworth

Louise Mason fulfilled a dream of hers when she opened a child play centre near Bury St Edmunds.

The 29-year-old opened World of Play, in Ixworth, after dreaming of the project for a number of years.

The centre can care for 20 children at present, with plans to eventually cater for 30 when it is up and running fully.

A range of play equipment and activities will keep kids entertained for hours while parents enjoy a coffee and a chat.

To read more about our experience of the centre, click here.

Tim Hortons, Ipswich

Ipswich residents were full of excitement when Tim Hortons opened its doors for the first time.

Hundreds camped in the cold in order to say they were the first to enter the branch in the Anglia Parkway South Branch.

The chain serves a range of Canadian classics, including their famous coffee, donuts and timbits.

SuffolkNews reporter Kaia Nicholl was one of the first people to try the new branch in January.

The Linden Tree, Bury St Edmunds

After a £200,000 revamp, a popular pub in Bury St Edmunds returned to business in February.

The Linden Tree, in Out Northgate, reopened with new owners and a new name after closing in June 2021.

The pub is now owned by Paul Bailey and Ashley Stock, of Stock and Bailey, who owns several other pubs in the area.

A range of European-style dishes are on offer, including Tapas, lamb kleftiko and traditional English roasts.

Poundstretcher, Lowestoft

The national chain branched out to East Suffolk at the beginning of April.

Poundstrecther opened their brand new store in a vacant unit on the Gateway Retail Park, in Tower Road, Lowestoft, on April 2.

Competitions to win vouchers were held on the opening day, with the store also donating £200 to Lowestoft Foodbank.