We’re in strange, confusing and uncertain times, aren’t we, Reading? But the one thing Explore Reading is certain about right now is the need to support our small, local and independent businesses. Many of our small traders rely on daily turnover and are unsure what the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing advice means for them.
But, although many of Reading’s indie businesses, cultural sites and community groups are closing their on-site services, they’ve reacted quickly, setting up online stores, delivery or takeaway services, gift vouchers or even putting their services online. Now they need your support to get them, and the town, through this scary period.
We often hear the phrase “use it, or lose it” in relation to our indies in Reading. Well, now more than ever is your time to use it, so that our town is still full of brilliant, enthusiastic and excellent local businesses when we all emerge from our sofas.
Find out below how you can help some of Reading’s independent businesses and culture organisations during the coronavirus pandemic, even if you’re self-isolating. Make an online order, or buy a voucher and help keep our local small businesses going and get our town’s best goods and services to help you power through the next few weeks (?!), months (?!) .
Take care Reading, stay safe and keep supporting local businesses.
Are you a small Reading business not on this list? Email me at [email protected] and I’ll try to include you.
Support Reading’s cafes, restaurants and cultural organisations.
Anonymous Coffee
If you’re self-isolating you don’t want to be stuck indoors without good coffee.
Fortunately, the coffee shop inside the Tasting House is selling brewing equipment and bags of whole Unity beans or ground coffee to order. You can buy in store or they'll take payment over the phone or by bank transfer. They’re also doing free delivery to RG1 for orders over £10 and you can order cakes and pastries for delivery too.
In the future, owner Phil Carter plans to offer virtual brewing tutorials online, so we can all learn to make coffee like his excellent brews from our kitchens. Follow them on Facebook for more.
Bakery House
The London Street Lebanese is still serving delivery and takeaway of their shawarma sandwiches and creamy hummus. Don’t forget the boneless baby chicken. Order via Deliveroo.
Clay's Hyderabadi
Update: Clay's have decided not to offer takeaway under the current changes to stay at home guidelines. Follow them on Twitter for daily delicious recipes you can make at home!
Our best new Reading restaurant award winner is setting up a takeaway service from next week.
At first this will be for collection only, but they are looking at delivery for the Reading area. Just think, you can have their incredible venison bhuna in the bath if the mood takes you.
Double-Barrelled Brewery
Since the advice to avoid pubs was announced, local breweries have been hit particularly hard, with many losing all current trade orders.
Although they've made a big impact in a year, Double-Barrelled are still relatively new as a brewery and need public orders to help them keep serving up their beautiful craft beer for the next few months.
They’ve opened an online shop where you can buy their canned beer delivered to your door - current brews include fruit sour ‘The Big Heist’, hefeweizen ‘Pyjamas’ and trusted pale ale Parka, which is my perfect drink-anytime beer.
They will be adding new beers all the time, so keep checking back. There’s also gift vouchers and merch so you can stock up for the future.
Visit the Double-Barrelled online store
Many of our local breweries, including Siren, Elusive and Loddon, are also offering delivery right now, read more with this full list on the Bracknell Beer Festival blog.
Fidget and Bob
The Kennet Island cafe are already a de-facto community centre for their neighbourhood, and they're still a stalwart of support through this difficult time.
They’ve stopped serving dine in customers, but are offering call and collect of all their daytime menu items, and are still stocking Beechwood Eggs for takeaway.
Ring ahead for takeaway orders and collections - 0118 931 0271, or email [email protected].
Menus are online.
Geo Cafe
In just a matter of days Caversham’s Georgian cafe has become a veritable farm shop for its local community.
Since stopping dine in service on Monday, they’ve carried on serving up takeaway - including Khacapuri cheese bread goodness for you to heat up at home.
They’ve also started holding greater stock of Beechwood Eggs, Jam Lady jam, cakes from the Wolsley Street Baker and of course, their own RGBread and Georgian spices, all of which you can take home to stock up your cupboards.
Follow them for more updates.
The Grumpy goat
Our favourite beer and cheese shop are offering non contact delivery of their much in-demand gourmet products.
Offerings include the Happy Goat Cheese Box - Small £15 / Large £25, the mixed 12 Happy Goat Beer Box - £38, or £60 for the premium ale version. They can also provide bespoke orders of beer, cheese, spirits (+ bread & eggs if they have them).
Orders via phone, email or social media and they’ll process payments via secure email link.
Order on their website.
Jelly
Arts charity and event organiser Jelly bring together so many different groups of people, often vulnerable community members, that the cancellation of their events is going to be a tough one.
Fortunately they have responded to change quickly and have already run their knitting circle through video call, next month’s book club and other monthly events, such as art club and after-school art will likely take this format. Follow their event updates on Eventbrite.
They’ve also made their first steps into online art content which we can all view and engage with through their Instagram stories.
Their collective of artists are working on a project where they start a piece of work and send it on to another artist to continue, increasing collaboration and digital media.
Their annual art week, Open for Art, usually in June, will likely be postponed to take place later in the year.
Support by becoming a friend of Jelly (£25/year), or making a one off donation on their website.
Kung Fu Kitchen
The mighty Kung Fu Kitchen do home-cooked Chinese food liked you'd really eat in China. There's a big menu spanning all the regional cusines, from hearty Xinjiang big pot chicken and potato, to spicy Sichuan dishes. Order the griddled cabbage and you'll never look at cabbage in the same way.
They're offering delivery for central Reading and collection in their Christchurch Road restaurant. You must call well ahead so they can plan collection slots every 15 minutes so you won't share contact with other customers and tell you when to turn up.
Text them on 07587577966 to order. View menu here
Makan Malaysia
Update: Deliveries have stopped under the current lockdown environment.
The always enthusiastic supper club duo have launched a Malaysian food home delivery service.
Menu options include prawn and veggie fritters, beef rendang and a vegan jackfruit rendang. They’re also selling vouchers for future use and jars of their spicy sambal paste.
Prices are around £5/6 a portion. Food delivery to Reading and the surrounding areas or free collection from Caversham. Order online.
Progress Theatre
From Wednesday 18th March all productions at the local community theatre have been cancelled for the rest of the season.
Not only is this a blow to theatre goers, but will affect the whole thriving community group.
During the closed season they will run creative and theatre workshops online for members and their youth theatre. They are looking into online, live-streamed productions, if anyone can help them with that, please get in touch.
For now, they are welcoming donations on their website to help support them for seasons to come. Donate to Progress Theatre.
Rabble Theatre
Reading’s most innovative theatre company has paused ticket sales on its next big show, and instead are focusing on reworking their many adult acting courses and children’s drama clubs to run them online.
To the joy of parents everywhere, they will also be running additional regular online drama sessions for children at affordable prices, so that families can keep children engaged at home.
You can also become a Friend of Rabble Theatre, with a monthly donation starting at only £2 a month.
I’ve been donating to Rabble for a couple of years, and it includes complimentary tickets to their preview shows as well as other benefits at shows. It’s well worth it to keep quality theatre in Reading. Become a friend of Rabble Theatre
Reading Farmer's Market
The market is going ahead on Saturday 21 March, so turn up and shop for organic veg, homemade bread and more.
All stalls will be taking extra hygiene measures and are going cashless, so bring your card for contactless payments.
Some vendors will be able to deliver for anyone who is self isolating.
View the website for contact details.The Cattle Market, Great Knollys Street, RG1 7HD. Saturday 21 March, 8.30am-12pm
Rising Sun Arts Centre
The Silver Street arts centre, and charity, have also paused all events during this time. You can donate to their fund to make sure events continue when this is all over on their website.
Donate now
Shed Cafe
UPdate: Shed have now closed and stopped takaway services.
Our favourite sandwich makers have shut their upstairs seating space but are keeping us fed by preparing their marvellous toasties for takeaway.
Call ahead, or message them on Instagram or Twitter and they’ll have your order all bagged up and ready to collect when you turn up.
They’ll need to know your name, number, order and time of collection. They’re going cashless so will take payment over the phone.
And from 20 March they’re also selling portions of homemade soup suitable for freezing at home. Follow Shed on Instagram.
South Street Arts Centre
It’s our favourite local theatre, home to so many young artists and the Best Thing in Reading (we voted, it’s official).
We almost lost it once, and we don’t want to go there again. So, although the council has shut all our cultural spaces, it’s important we keep our beloved arts centre open in the long term.
£35 gets you priority booking and discount on tickets in the future, as well as invites to preview nights. It’s well worth it generally, and now you can consider it an investment in the theatre.
Excitingly, I’ve been told South Street is planning to throw a party when they are able to open again to raise money, welcome some guest performers and liven up all our spirits.
There even may be a few events going online so you can stream them live and enjoy the theatre experience from your sofa. I’ll update details when they are confirmed.
Buy aSouth Street Arts Centre Membership
Time Trap Escape Rooms
We’re all going to spend a lot of our time locked in our rooms at the moment, so we best practice how to get out, I guess.
One of Reading’s most creative small businesses, Time Trap have come to the rescue for that and are offering free EXIT games - mini escape rooms you can play at home - with every gift voucher purchase.
Not only will it give you survival practice, but it will also keep the kids entertained while school is out.
Vouchers for the main escape room experiences are well worth investing in, as Time Trap’s experiences are imaginative and whimsical. It’s easy to get lost in the world of their carefully constructed theme rooms, which, let’s be honest, we'll all need after this particular dose of reality.
Vouchers are for a game of up to four people and last for 18 months. The offer for the free home game lasts seven days.Order online now.
