A clash is set to begin between a business owner and council staff at a convenience store opposite one of the busiest pubs in Reading.
Kings Food & Wine opened opposite the Back of Beyond in Kings Road in Spring 2024.
Since then, it has been selling Asian, Romanian and Polish food, convenience items, fresh fruit and vegetables and alcoholic drinks to customers.
The business won permission to sell alcohol from 7am to 11pm each day from Reading Borough Council in November 2023.
But after two years of operating, the council’s licensing team has called for the licence to be reviewed claiming that the business is breaching rules set for it.
An application for review states: “The Licensing Team has applied for a review of the premises licence for Kings Food & Wine on the grounds that the operation of the premises is undermining the licensing objectives.
“The application follows repeated breaches of licence conditions and ongoing concerns regarding the management of the premises, despite advice, inspections and opportunities to improve.”
A statutory consultation allowing interested parties to comment, which could include Thames Valley Police, is currently live.
Comments can be made by members of the public as well to either support or object to the licensing review.
You can do so by emailing licensing@reading.gov.uk. The deadline for responses is Thursday, September 3.
A review hearing of the council’s licensing applications sub-committee will take place after the consultation has closed.
Kings Food & Wine took over from the Pack & Send store afters of vacancy, with the latter business moving to 43-45 Milford Road in January 2021.
