Spill Bar Thrives as Caversham's New Hotspot

Nearly 18 months after opening, the owners of Spill Bar say adapting fast has been key to success in Caversham.

Spill Bar opened in December 2024 at St Martins Precinct in the old House of Cards unit. It is run by Claire Anderton-Bell and business partner Amanda Adlam and was busy during a visit on Tuesday, June 9.

Mrs Anderton-Bell explained how the venue quickly added a daytime café and bakery to meet demand. She said: "It has been an absolute surprise. We didn’t open as a coffee shop, we opened solely as a bar, and then Caversham customers took hold of the place and decided this is also going to be a coffee shop.

"So we changed our identity a little bit and decided to be a coffee shop with a bar vibe in the day and then a really cool bar at night, which is what we always set out to do, and it has been absolutely amazing.

"I could not be more grateful to all of our customers and Caversham for supporting us so heavily.

"I think people are just really pleased to have so much fun and exciting and new and fresh and particularly in the precinct.

"People have just been incredible with their support, and I’m so pleased and proud how much people have loved it."

It was a bold move given Costa Coffee sits directly opposite. On how long the change took, she said: "About six weeks. Not even that. People were just piling in for coffee.

"And we had a coffee machine ready, but we never opened as a coffee shop. We opened as a bar with a little bit of food to go alongside. So yeah, it was really quick.

"We changed our opening hours within six weeks, turned it into a coffee shop in the day, because that’s what customers wanted.

"Yeah, and there are quite a few coffee shops in Caversham, and I think if we’d have said, on our launch, we’d be a new coffee shop coming, I think there would have been an uproar.

"People would have said, we don’t need another coffee shop. Caversham’s got loads of coffee shops.

"So I don’t think it would have worked anyway, saying we’re going to open as a coffee shop. We’re going to open as a bar, which is what Caversham needed.

"And I mean, there’s some great bars in Caversham, but it needs more of a scene, you know, some more extra bars, so people can have a little couple room, not just have one option. So I think that’s what people were excited about, a new non-pub. cocktail bar venue, not a coffee shop, but lo and behold, they wanted a coffee shop as well."

Other central Caversham venues include Alto Lounge, The Crown, The Griffin and The Angel Bar.

On the secret to running a good place, she said: "I think making sure you look after your staff properly and genuinely care about your staff and offer them a really good work-life balance where none of them dread coming into work. I think that really helps.

"Always offering a really good product, a consistent product, but making sure your staff are genuinely happy and excited to work for you. That runs your business.

"They come in, they’re happy, they’ll look after your customers and your business and appreciate you in return for our love and support. I think that’s what helps."

Spill Bar won permission to sell alcohol from 12pm to 11pm each night after a meeting of Reading Borough Council’s licensing applications sub-committee in October 2024 and opened in December that year.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter