Pop-up food and entertainment venue approved in Reading
The market yard will operate indoors for eight weeks from a former newspaper print works on Tessa Road in Reading
Last updated 4th Oct 2021
A new 1,200 capacity indoor market will open this Autumn near Richfield Avenue.
Market Yard at Printhouse Reading, on 2-12 Tessa Road, has been granted a licence by Reading Borough Council (RBC).
The pop-up venue will have food traders, bars, live music and DJs in three rooms plus an outdoor terrace.
A spokesman for Market Yard said: “It’s fantastic that we’ve managed to secure the licence. We will be launching very shortly, opening in early November – likely November 11 or 12.
“Our plan is to use it as a pop-up food market with music and live entertainment.
“The space is unbelievable. It is a really exciting opportunity and something we are looking to get our teeth stuck into.
“We will be Christmas theming it from November 25 and taking Christmas bookings.”
The pop-up venue will run for around eight weeks initially, until January 1, opening at first on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, before adding Wednesdays and Thursdays to the schedule from the end of November.
Currently, the bar is set to close at the beginning of January 2022 but the spokesman said they have a 12-month licence so Market Yard II could relaunch in February or March “depending on the success”.
Market Yard at Printhouse Reading is the follow up to Market Yard at Hills Meadow, an outdoor market pop-up which took place this summer.
The organisers said the outdoor Market Yard pop-up was “a real success but we had some weather issues – it didn’t stop raining.”
The new indoor version will have new food vendors every week, a different theme in each room and plenty of local independents providing food and booze, including Double Barrelled and Jubel.
Market Yard at Printhouse Reading will shut at 11pm, with opening times yet to be confirmed.
The Market Yard spokesman added: “It is going to bring in loads of jobs, which is fantastic after this period we have just gone through . The hospitality industry is struggling quite a lot. It hopefully will be an opportunity for lots of students who need jobs.”