10-year tenancy agreed with West Berks Brewery 

After a prolonged campaign spearheaded by Rob Wilson MP, a source has confirmed that a deal had been reached to safeguard the Jolly Anglers for at least the next 10 years. A ten year tenancy had been agreed between the new owners of the pub and the award-winning West Berkshire Brewery. The deal also saw the removal of the restrictive covenant placed on the property by former owner Enterprise Inns after heavy pressure Reading East MP, Rob Wilson – which included the Select Committee, the Department for Business, Innovation & Science, plus pressure on Enterprise Inns.

The news is likely to be heralded as a great success by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and local beer enthusiasts alike as the West Berkshire Brewery has a tradition of producing high-quality award-winning ales such as Dr. Hexter’s Healer, Good Old Boy and Maggs Magnificent Mild. The Jolly will be only the second pub acquired by the brewery, after purchasing the Rising Sun at Stockcross in 2005.

Rob welcomed the news, saying, “This is great news and a great success for our campaign to keep the Jolly Anglers as a pub. I have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to try and help come to an arrangement whereby the property remained as a pub, and I am sure that many people will agree that this is a much better outcome than anyone could have expected.  I’d like to thank all those in the local community who have supported this campaign, because everybody has played an important role in achieving this outcome.

“The West Berkshire Brewery is held in high esteem in real ale circles and its expansion to Reading will do wonders for the progress of the Campaign for Real Ale. I’m delighted that this has been resolved and we have saved a great British pub from disappearing.  However, there is still a lot more work to do if we are to stop the continuing decline of local community services like pubs and post offices.”