The owners of an independent deli and bar have said that they are ‘shocked and heartbroken’ after being given one week to leave their shop in Reading after ten years.

Found in Reading’s ‘Smelly Alley’, brewery and cheese specialists the Grumpy Goat has become a firm favourite for residents since opening in 2013. 

Owners Anne-Marie and Charlie Beatty said the shop will close on Saturday, after being given just seven days to vacate the property by their landlord.

Speaking to the Chronicle, Anne-Marie said they were in "shock" and are now in a race-against-time to leave the property.

They say they have been ordered to make sure they are out of the building by Tuesday when the locks will be changed. 

In an interview with this newspaper, Anne-Marie said: “We are just so shocked. The hardest bit is that we’ve been offered a week to get out. We asked for two weeks, and it was refused by the agent.

“We have been in negotiations for the last month, but we received the final text yesterday. There was a break-down in negotiations and they were trying to leave us where we were less protected.

“I would love to keep this going but just being faced with demands from landlords that we can’t meet. From a tenant who has always paid their rent, I just didn’t know what to say.”

The couple said protecting their team of ten employees and reducing the risk of any job losses was a top priority.

Anne-Marie said: “We opened it 10 years ago because we thought beer and cheese would go together. It started out as just a silly idea, but I never expected it to end like this.”

But despite the heartache caused by the sudden decision, Anne-Marie says they have been overwhelmed with support from the Reading community - in particular fellow independent businesses who have expressed outrage at how the couple have been treated. 

She said: "The community has been amazing. It’s really heart-warming to know that Reading is so supportive of us.

“The independent scene they have offered us places to trade within their businesses and we’ve had lots of really lovely messages from our community and all our customers from the last ten years.”

Assistant Manager in training, Sian Herbert, said that she feels like she has so much more to give to the business after being promoted last month.

The couple love to find a new home for the Grumpy Goat in Reading but have no firm plans at this stage.