A beloved pottery painting café in Tilehurst has just had a brand-new makeover.

Mad Hatters Pottery Painting Cafe recently closed for a two-week refurbishment and is now able to seat 60 people.

The café in Tilehurst has been open for over 9 years and is a regular haunt for residents living in the area and beyond.

Owned by Fiona Stevens, Mad Hatters also has a location in Arborfield at Henry Street Garden Centre. She also runs Mad Hatters Club which services events.

Group Operations Director Lisa Pigdem said that the café needed a refurbishment but did not want to lose the community feel it is so lovingly known for.

“We’ve changed lots of things in the café but what hasn’t changed is the staff,” she said. “They are the real selling point of this place.

“We have such a good relationship with regulars. I’ve worked here for 8 years and was only meant to work for Fi for a month.

“We all love it here. It’s a small family business and we all understand each other very well. All the staff chipped in on the refurbishment as well like helping to build the furniture.”

The Mad Hatters prides itself on being a relaxed environment where people can sit and drink good coffee whilst trying their hand at painting pottery.

The refurb meant that the café decided to stop serving hot food, a topic that some locals were particularly upset about.

On a recent post to social media, many residents aired their grievances regarding the changed menu.

One user wrote “I wonder why they've stopped doing hot food? They will lose so much business as a result.”

Lisa Pigden explained that serving hot food was simply becoming too expensive for the café given the cost-of-living crisis and the rising prices of electrical bills and catering supplies.

They now have fresh pastries coming in every day and cakes delivered from a specialist confectionary company.

Mad Hatters owner Fiona Stevens also makes fresh blondies along with other baked goods to sell at the café.

The business currently runs a whole host of events for all ages.

A big winner at the moment is their over 18s Friday pottery nights where customers can bring their own booze and takeaways to enjoy whilst painting with friends.

Every Friday in November and December was completely booked up last year, and Mad Hatters is hoping to see the same success in 2024.