Pub landlord transforms garden again - and has more plans

The Jolly Anglers, which is by the River Kennet in east Reading at 314-316 Kennet Side, caught widespread attention with its lockdown transformation last year.

Pub landlord Xemail Zeqiri, who bought the east Reading riverside pub in February 2019, installed a 25ft-long swimming pool, jacuzzi, 86-inch TV, pizza oven, and hot tub over the spring and summer lockdown, turning the venue into an “Ibiza resort”. READ MORE: Pub landlord transforms Reading pub garden into 'Ibiza resort'

He also attempted to get permission for a B&B but was knocked back by the council (more on that below).

But that was not enough for him, and he set to work again to expand the pub garden.

The garden also has a pizza oven and outdoor loos

He has now added a sauna, installed a bigger pool and jacuzzi and added another huge TV for live sports, while there are also now outdoor toilets and the garden is much bigger overall, in what he calls a "Dubai-style" revamp.

The pool, sauna and jacuzzi (which has its own mini-TVs) are available for private booking only, with current Covid restrictions limiting bookings to 30 people.

Mr Zeqiri said: “I have started having lots of bookings and enquiries from families mostly and they haven’t seen the layout yet. I haven’t posted anything about the new garden online.

“People love it here now. I think it much better than it was.”

Two TVs and a sauna

He says the revamp “cost a lot” and he had to do the work again himself, with some help from locals.

“There are very nice locals here”, says Mr Zeqiri. “They helped me a lot.

“At least it is done and it is for a long time.

“That is it now. For lockdown four, I want to relax”, he jokes, but says he hopes another lockdown does not happen.

Plans for a B&B

Plans were submitted to add a B&B to the Jolly Anglers’ arsenal earlier this year but the council refused the change of use application as it said the pub will need to seek planning permission or apply for it to be ‘inn accommodation’ as part of the pub.

Mr Zeqiri says he has not yet made an application but will look to take the council’s advice and apply for the B&B to be part of the pub.

The B&B aimed to make use of the four-bedroom landlords flat above the Kennetside pub with guests to be allowed to use the pool outside the pub’s opening hours.

A pergola restaurant on the River Kennet?

The landlord would like to build a restaurant on the river

Remember Mr Zeqiri saying “that is it now”?

A minute later he tells me of two more schemes he has in mind.

One is to make the garden even bigger by seeing if neighbours will let him build an extension above their property.

The other is to try to get planning permission for a “pergola system hanging over the river, for a restaurant”.

“It would use 40 per cent of the width of the river and be about 15m long”, he says.

“I would be really interested to do that because it would look so nice.”

He is not clear who he would need to apply to and whether it would be accepted but says this part of town needs improving.

Mr Zeqiri says: “They call it New Town. They should make it a new town.”

Booking the garden

It costs £500 a day to hire out the garden for private parties for a minimum of 20 people and current max of 30 and bookings can be made for Monday – Thursday, 11am-9.30pm, or Friday-Sunday, 11am-6pm.

The jacuzzi, which has its own TVs

Only six at a time will be able to use the sauna, which is not finished yet, until the rule of six is removed for inside socialising.

The max capacity for private bookings could increase to 100 once all Covid restrictions are removed.

READ MORE: Cost of building new Rivermead and Palmer Park pools rises by more than £2 million

At other times, the garden will be open to general customers – though they will not be able to use the pool, sauna and jacuzzi – and he said he will try to keep the garden free for when football matches are on such as during this month’s Euro 2021 tournament.

The garden will also be open to general customers at normal hours when private bookings are not made.