New vet celebrates opening by inviting children to have a go

Free chicken for a year

THE LATEST international food outlet set to land in Reading has announced its launch date, complete with a Mardi Gras-style party and a mouth-watering competition.

American Fried Chicken restaurant Popeyes is set to open on Broad Street on Thursday, February 23, the second of 20 stores set to launch in the UK this year.

Reading’s diners have the chance of winning free chicken – the first 25 customers set to receive free chicken sandwiches and Popeye’s merchandise for its first three days.

The first two customers in the queue in the first three days will be awarded the grand prize of a year’s supply of chicken sandwiches.

The new 96-seat restaurant will also celebrate the launch with a Mardi Gras-style band, The Brass Funkeys, to bring the sound of New Orleans.

By PHIL CREIGHTON news@rdg.today

HUNDREDS of children went to school on Saturday, but you won’t hear a peep of complaint out of them.

To celebrate the launch of its new branch, Vet’s Klinic Reading invited children to visit its Headley Road East branch and bring with them a favourite cuddly toy pet so they could enrol in vet school.

The opportunity included guided tours of the new practice and the opportunity to meet the vets and nurses and ask them questions about their jobs.

And they also learnt about how to care for their toy pet, including how to bandage minor cuts and scrapes. Each participant was given a Vet’s Klinic certificate as a souvenir of their day.

The state-of-the-art veterinary practice offered the event after learning that, according to the British Veterinary Association, 46% of vets decided they wanted to pursue this career at primary school and 65% knew before they were 13.

The team at Vet’s Klinic say they are keen to engage with these enthusiastic young vets of the future.

Stephanie Catt, Head Veterinary Nurse at Vet’s Klinic, believes nobody is too young to start learning about a career with animals.

She said: “I knew I wanted to be a veterinary nurse from a very young age and that desire never changed. Working at a veterinary practice is challenging but also very rewarding so this is a great opportunity to show the younger generation what it’s really like day-to-day and their newfound skills may come in handy one day.”

The event wasn’t just for children. Adults and their pets also visited, enjoying tours and talks, as well as being able to sign up for treatment.

The clinic is the second one to be opened by the company. It has a glass-fronted prep room where owners can watch the veterinary staff caring for their pets, as well as having an interactive website so owners can view their pet’s medical records online and book and pay for appointments.

Laura Shears, its managing director, said: “Vet’s Klinic’s philosophy is driven by a passion to deliver gold standard care not only for pets but also for pet owners by offering state-of-theart care at affordable prices – all with the goal of helping more pets enjoy long-term health and happiness.” n For more, log on to: vetsklinic.co.uk/reading

Hanna (5) is shown how to bandage a leg on a soft toy dog

Tom Crowley, CEO at Popeyes UK, commented: “When we landed in the UK in November 2021, we asked people all over the country to ‘believe the hype’ attached to the huge cult following Popeyes has in the US.

“It’s safe to say they’ve done that, with overnight queues for every one of our openings last year. There’s no doubt that Popeyes has been enthusiastically received on UK shores.

“Reading is a thriving town, with roots embedded in good food, culture, and music –it’s great to be expanding our footprint once more and throwing our doors open to another vibrant UK community.” n More information can be found via Popeyes’ website: popeyesuk.com/restaurants/Reading, or via their TikTok and Instagram pages

Popeyes was founded in New Orleans in 1972, and has since expanded to serve Louisianastyle chicken in more than 3,800 restaurants worldwide.

Chalk Restaurant offers residents and locals the perfect place to come together and catch up while enjoying a range of quality drinks or some food from our mouthwatering menu that focuses on simple fresh ingredients done well

WARM IDEA: Winter coat donations being sorted at a recent Winter Warmer event in Petersfield. The scheme is at Reading Station this weekend