A BAR has joined forces with a theatre to help build business.

Church Street Tavern in Colchester has partnered up with the Mercury Theatre as part of the theatre's corporate partnerships scheme.

The scheme encourages businesses to work together alongside the theatre to secure the future of the Mercury, to improve the economy.

Theatre-goers will be able to take advantage of a set price menu available at lunch and between 5.30pm and 7pm, Wednesday to Saturday, at the restaurant opposite.

Steve Mannix, executive director at the Mercury Theatre, said: “We are delighted to be working together with Church Street Tavern, beginning what we hope will be an enduring and fertile partnership.

"Both Church Street Tavern and the Mercury share a deep commitment to quality and service, and we are delighted to be partnering with a local company whose offering so well complements our own.

“As a charity, the future sustainability of our work on and off stage relies on partnerships such as this, particularly as we move closer towards our redevelopment project, Mercury Rising.

"It is also central to our vision that we are a theatre for Colchester, actively supporting the town’s night-time economy, and we regularly seek to deepen links with the local community that is so important to us.

"We’re very much looking forward to working together with Church Street Tavern to see what we can achieve together.”

Piers Baker, Church Street Tavern owner, said the Mercury was one of the reasons why they chose that location in 2014.

He said: "The food offering often plays second fiddle to the theatre experience, rightly so in some respects, but we wanted to contribute to an all-round great night out that includes excellent food.

"We've always been a supporter of the arts, through our sponsorship of The Roman River Festival and The Pimlott Foundation, so becoming a corporate partner with the Mercury as it enters its next stage of development was a natural move and one we are very excited about.”