A NEW wine and ale bar with 1950s-style features will be opening in Broadstone in the autumn. The owners of The Gin House and The Tap House in Wimborne, Kate and Gordon Compston, are bringing the bar to the premises currently occupied by Costa Coffee in Lower Blandford Road. Called Harwood & Co, the new venue will have a "retro vibe, combined with a modern twist - upmarket, yet cosy and welcoming".

Anticipation has been building about the bar since Mr and Mrs Compston submitted plans for a "premium drinking establishment" at the former Julia’s House shop.

However, their plans were scuppered after the landlord entered into a contract with Patisserie Mark Bennett.

The bakery is set to open this month.

Mr and Mrs Compston then submitted a premises licence application for the Costa Coffee unit.

The license approval has been granted and the fit out will commence once Costa moves into new premises.

The Daily Echo contacted the coffee shop chain for a comment about its relocation but did not get a response at the time of going to press.

Mrs Compston said the name Harwood & Co was a tribute to her family.

“My grandparents are Harwoods and four generations have lived in Broadstone. We are featuring 1950s style crockery, a record player and we’ve even got Mediterranean tiles in memory of my grandparents' trips to Spain and Europe, and not forgetting the all-important pantry.

“The popular 50s vibe was a time when vinyl and jukeboxes were the main in-house musical entertainment, a pre-digital era, and we have seen an increasing desire for premises which hark back to bygone times, which we believe is why our Gin House has proven to be so popular.”

In March this year Mrs Compston was given Finalist Rising Star status in the BAPTAs - awards which celebrate tourism, hospitality and catering across the BH postcode area.

She said: “We are 100 per cent committed to investment in the area. We employ and work with local people and local businesses, we will continue to work with local suppliers as a part of our business growth. We are absolutely thrilled to have finally found our ideal site in Broadstone and we very much look forward to becoming a part of the community.”