A popular Reading brewery that sells beers across the country has exciting plans to keep its tap room open later and to host events.

They have also spoken to the Local Democracy Reporting Service about the challenges they are facing due to inflation.

The Double-Barrelled Brewery is run by married couple Mike & Luci Clayton-Jones from the Stadium Way Industrial Estate in Tilehurst.

The brewery is more than just a place where beer is made though, as it opened a tap room in December 2018.

Now, the couple have applied to host music events and stay open until 10pm in a licensing application to Reading Borough Council.

READ MORE: Double-Barrelled taproom "excited" to be nationally recognised

Explaining the changes, Luci Clayton-Jones, 33, from Caversham, said: “It would give us a bit more flexibility. On Thursday this week we have a quiz, but we have to wrap up at 8.30pm to get people off site for 9pm.

“So it would mean we can run that without having to stress about closing.

“It makes things more practical as a business.

“I’m not expecting it to change things significantly, but it would give us more breathing room.

“Our regular hours would be extended for an hour, until 10pm, that means when we have social events and beer festivals we can stay open a bit later.”

In full, Double-Barrelled have applied for live music indoors from 12pm-11pm Wednesday to Sunday, play recorded music indoors and outdoors, and sell alcohol on and off the premises, from 8am to midnight Monday to Sunday.

It is understood the regular closing hour for the tap room will be at 10pm to comply with planning conditions.

The music and live music hours have been applied for so Double-Barrelled can hold special events without having to apply for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN).

READ MORE: Reading African restaurant bid to host music performances

Anyone who wants to comment on the application can do so by emailing licensing@reading.gov.uk .

The deadline for representations is Friday, September 30.

The brewery is in quiet industrial area, occupying unit 20 Stadium Way.

Mrs Clayton-Jones said: “We are not in a heavily residential or town centre area.

“We’ve now started opening on Thursday evenings, to have to close at 8.30pm it really limits our ability to make it make sense to do that journey.

“We are in survival mode, that’s part of the reason why we are doing it.

“We want to make every bit of money we can unfortunately, that’s part of the justification.”

Any dreams to open a pub have been put definitively on hold thanks to huge increases in utility and production costs.

A brewery pub called The Weather Station in Eldon Terrace had its final day on Saturday, September 3.

READ MORE: The Weather Station Reading 'unable to keep operating' as closure is announced

Mrs Clayton-Jones said: “Keeping on making beer and staying in business is the main focus.

“Utilities have gone up 330 per cent, which is obviously really crippling, we spend more on our utilities than our rent

“The Co2 required to make the beer has gone up, partly because natural gas prices have gone up 800 per cent

“At the moment for us we’re seeing our prices rise hugely, while the customer is only willing to pay a certain amount for a pint.”

Tom Stainer, the chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale recently said the price of pints would have to rise to be as much as £20 if they were to match the increase in running costs pubs now face.

READ MORE: Landlords warn of £20 pints to cover energy bills

Suggesting what assistance could be given to brewers, Mrs Clayton-Jones said:”There is no energy price cap for businesses which could be implemented.

“I’ve written to MP to put pressure on the Government to help the hospitality and brewing industries.

“It’s a nervous period. I feel just as nervous now as the start of covid.

“We’re sitting on debt and don’t have the reserves to absorb the cost.”