A POPULAR family-run craft beer bar will open its second branch in Poole next month.

The Butcher’s Dog, which already has a bar in East Street, Wimborne, will open the new venue on Parr Street in Ashley Cross in late May.

The Wimborne branch has been open since September 2016.

The new bar will feature more than 15 different craft ales on tap, a selection of organic wines, local spirits and a “bottle shop” for takeaways.

There will be a large beer garden which will provide additional outside seating, with pop ups from local food vendors to feed hungry customers.

Landlord John Hewitson said: “It was an opportunity that couldn’t be missed, Ashley Cross is a lovely suburb. I was landlord of a popular local pub in a ‘former lifetime’ and was proud of my reputation serving the best kept German and British beers for over 15 years.

“Now, beer quality has moved forward leaps and bounds and at The Butcher’s Dog we give craft breweries the spotlight they deserve. Craft beer is all about passion, quality and flavour and we will offer a new audience our ever-changing selection of pale ales, IPAs and more, alongside house German beers and great British cask ales.

“The heart of our family business is good beer; before opening the bar in Wimborne we spent years visiting micro-breweries and beer festivals across the country and holidaying in some of the world’s best beer cities like Munich and Copenhagen. We would often discuss what our own place would look like and The Butcher’s Dog bars are a dream come true for the family.”

Business partner Laura Green said: “We pride ourselves on our knowledge of craft beer and loyalty to the fantastic people who work in this industry; we will continue to work with independent breweries from across the country to bring the best in beer to Dorset.

“The Butcher’s Dog Ashley Cross will be an expansion of the experience we have worked hard to offer in Wimborne, and we’re really excited to meet beer enthusiasts in the area, as well as those who want to try something different or just enjoy a glass of organic sauvignon blanc in the garden.”