A company in charge of a pub in Lower Earley has given an update on its status following Freedom Day.
‘Freedom Day’ which struck on Monday, July 19, allowed pubs to open with no restrictions on numbers and clubs to finally reopen as well.
However, one pub restaurant in Lower Earley has been shut since the first lockdown hit on March 23, 2020.
That means the Earley Retreat has been closed for 15 months.
It was hoped that the pub restaurant would reopen its doors once Freedom Day had been reached.
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Yet its owning company have said there are no plans to reopen it or sell it to another operator.
The Earley Retreat is run as a Sizzling Pub, which is a brand owned by the Mitchell & Butlers pub, bar and restaurant company.
A spokesperson for the Earley Retreat, said: “The Earley Retreat remains closed and there are no immediate plans to reopen but it remains part of our ongoing plans.”
The Tyler’s Rest in Tilehurst, another Sizzling Pub, has reopened.
Mitchell & Butlers is one of the biggest dining companies in the UK, with around 1,784 locations. Along with the Sizzling brand, it also owns the O’Neill’s pub brand, the All Bar One cocktail bar brand, the Toby Carvery pub restaurant brand and the Miller & Carter steakhouses, all of which have a presence in Reading.
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O’Neill’s, All Bar One, and Miller & Carter have all reopened branches in Reading. There is even a Toby Carvery in Lower Earley, which has reopened. Mitchell & Butlers also owns The Hope & Bear, which has been open since rules allowed outdoor dining on April 12.
The Earley Retreat is located in Chalfont Close, Lower Earley.
It is listed as ‘Temporarily Closed’ on Google. The Rose and Thistle in Argyle Road, which is owned by Greene King, is in the same position.
Freedom Day was meant to take place on June 21, however, it was delayed by the Government.
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