Mrsbump's Qype profile

If you love doughnuts, then Krispy Kremes are the king of all doughnuts! If you are in need of a sugar rush whilst shopping in Reading then I highly recommend giving the Krispy Kreme shop on the riverside of the Oracle a visit. The shop sell hot and cold drinks but the main event is choosing your doughnut (no mean feat due to the range available). They stock various types, from the original frosted ring doughnut, various kruellers to filled and iced. Although there are a few varieties that are available throughout the year (cream filled, raspberry filled etc) they are forever inventing new varieties to tempt you like the jaffa doughnut and lemon merangue. These doughnuts don’t come as cheap as your average supermarket fare but then again they are a class apart. The staff at the Reading branch are very friendly and were quick to point out an offer we had missed which actually saved us money. The shop also sell krispy kreme merchandise and gift cards/subscriptions (I’d love the double dozen card – a double dozen of doughnuts every month for a year!!) which would make a novel gift for a krispy kreme addict! If you haven’t tried one of their doughnuts then pay them a visit to find out what you have been missing!

Tucked away on Castle Street, amusingly located next to a barber shop you will find a little pie shop called Sweeney & Todd. Locally known as Sweeneys this is so much more than a simple shop; tucked away beyond the fridges and serving counter is a little pub and in the cellar is a restaurant. The main order of the day is pie but with so many different varieties (some available all year round such are ham and stilton, steak and ale, 5 nations and vicars and others which are more tailored to the seasons) there should be something to suit almost everyone. The pies are roughly 6” in diameter and come either on their own or with jackets, chips, cauliflower cheese or ratatouille. These pies are really tasty and good value for money. The restaurant is usually busy but if you are in a hurry you can buy pies to take away.

I remember getting bath products and make up from a company called “Cosmetics to go” that little company turned into Lush and the stuff is just brilliant. Lush make some lovely soaps and bath bombs which I can guarantee most woman would be more than happy to receive. You can smell the shop long before you get to it and when it comes into view the vivid colours also draw you in.

Quite how Reading hasn’t got city status yet I don’t know. It has a great town centre with 2 big shopping centres and loads more shops besides. There are plenty of places for you t go out to eat and it has a lively nightlife. There is a busy and popular University and it has fantastic raillinks to the rest of the country.

All disney stores get busy but the bigger the store the better it can cope with it. The Reading store is great as it is big enough to handle the crowds. There are loads things in the store that any child would love, and if you look carefully you can find some real bargains to be had. The staff are insanely perky (as you would expect of Disney) but they are all very friendly and seem to be genuinely enthusiastic about the things they sell.

Although very much the poor relation to the Oracle, there is certainly nothing wrong with The Butts. It has a wide range of shops to explore and always seems very busy. Broad St Mall also has a multistorey carpark attached to it so you don’t have to rely on parking at the oracle which can get gridlocked at weekends. If you need a break from shopping there are plenty of places you can get a drink or something to eat to catch your breath before you return to the bargain hunting.

TGI Fridays are a good place to go for a special occasion, sadly they are a little too expensive for them to be more that that but the food is lovely. The starters and main courses are delicious and the portions very generous. The desserts look wonderful but by the time I have finished my main and had an oreo cookie milkshake I am stuffed silly for the night. The staff are ridiculously perky and friendly but you have to buy into that if you decide to eat at a TGIs.

My husband and I spent our wedding night in the White Hart hotel. I was really impressed by the room which was huge and had a lovely big bathroom. The decor was tasteful and the bed very comfy. The staff were all lovely and very friendly and breakfast the following morning very good. I would happily stay at the White Hart again.

One of my earliest memories of Blackfriars is being taken to the annual pantomine by my Nan. Since then I have watched a fair few more pantos, plays and comedy clubs. These days Blackfriars also shows movies. Blackfriars is a lovely little theatre and arts centre and has its own bar so you can catch a quick drink in the interval of the various productions that are put on there. I am looking forward to being able to take my little girl to watch the christmas panto in a year or two.

In this day and age of haagen daaz and messers ben & jerry a simply vanilla icecream without all the bells and whistles is sometimes overlooked. With Skinners icecream though, this would be a travesty. This family run business has been around as long as I can ever remember and the icecream is wonderful. The weekend started as soon as I heard the skinners van come round the estate on a friday evening after school and it is great to know that skinners is still going strong.