The team behind one of the ‘best rated’ burger joints in Reading have sadly announced that they are closing the business down.

The Smash N Grab burger hut at Cemetery Junction in East Reading was opened since 

A post on the burger joint Instagram page states: “It is with the saddest of hearts that we must tell you, that we are announcing the closure of Smash N Grab.

“We want to say a massive THANK YOU to all of you for supporting us all these years and we could not have done it without you.

“We will cherish the memories and especially the friendships we have made with you.”

The final day of trading will take place between 1pm and 11pm on Saturday, January 27.

READ MORE: East Reading  fish and chip shop owner "devastated" to announce closure

Smash N Grab specialised in smashed burgers, a method which involves smashing the meat to expose more of it to the cooking heat.

They also sold chicken burgers, sides and shakes.

The burgers were highly rated on food review websites, with a 4.6/5 rating on JustEat, with a 4.8/5 rating from reviews posted on Google.

The owners of Smash N Grab were involved in a dispute with neighbour site Fat Twins and Kaspas Desserts located in The Granby Tavern.

READ MORE: Reading burger joints in dispute over new outdoor seating area

The businesses clashed over a pergola that was put up by Fat Twins and Kaspas without planning permission in the summer of 2022.

A planning application was submitted for retrospective permission for the wooden pergola in August 2022 but was withdrawn in November of that year.

A follow-up application described as a ‘glazed veranda’ over the outdoor seating area (reference 230329) was approved on July 10, 2023.

It is understood that the project will involve replacing the existing pergola with the veranda.

Reading Chronicle: Impressions of a veranda which is set to replace a wooden pergola at Fat Twins and Kaspas at The Granby Tavern in East Reading. Credit: Create Space DesignImpressions of a veranda which is set to replace a wooden pergola at Fat Twins and Kaspas at The Granby Tavern in East Reading. Credit: Create Space Design

At the time, planning officer Gary Miles judged that the veranda, which will have glass to protect diners from the rain, would be an improvement.

Mr Miles wrote: “There are no neighbouring residential properties adjacent to the eastern elevation of 120 London Road, therefore officers do not believe the proposed Traditional Victorian style Veranda will be harmful to neighbouring residential properties.

“The proposed structure will be less intrusive than that of the existing, considered less overbearing to the neighbouring properties and to the host building.”

Mr Miles also established that the area the pergola covers is contained within The Granby site, which formed part of the dispute.

Reading Chronicle: The Fat Twins pergola which was built on Sunday, July 3, 2022. Uzma Qadir has argued the seating area should be limited to the right of the blue bollards. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting ServiceThe Fat Twins pergola which was built on Sunday, July 3, 2022. Uzma Qadir has argued the seating area should be limited to the right of the blue bollards. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

The closure of Smash N Grab will mean that the hut it occupies will become vacant.

The hut was previously occupied by the Bellaflora Florist, which closed in 2009, and was afterwards taken over a number of small food businesses before becoming Smash N Grab in February 2021.