Homemade every day, since 2007
Picnic is an independent café located in the heart of Reading town centre. We’ve been established at 5 Butter Market since the summer of 2007.
Specialising in homemade cake, weekly changing salads and superb coffee. We attract a varied and discerning crowd of people who live or work in Reading, as well as shoppers and even visiting artists.

Click salads to learn more
Our fresh and healthy salads have been the basis of our menu since the day Picnic opened. In fact we started out offering a healthy salad option to festivalgoers in the summer of 2006 at the Innocent smoothie festival in Regents Park.
Available to eat in or take away, our Picnic Boxes are the perfect alternative to one of our lovely toasted sandwiches or soups. They make a quick, wholesome lunch that will give you an energy boost for the rest of your day.
The menu changes every Monday, but we always have two options – one vegetarian and one meat-based. All come with couscous and fresh leaf salad.

Click cakes to learn more
Picnic has the finest selection of homemade cakes in the entire world (actual fact).
All our cakes are handmade in our own kitchen and since the spring of 2026 no gluten is included in their ingredients. The cake ‘list’ is extensive and ever changing. So come down to Picnic and sample a slice with a cup of our delicious coffee/tea/matcha/chai latte/hot chocolate….
If a slice is not enough, why not order a whole cake? Just give us a call on 01189589292, drop us an email or pop into the café.

Click coffee to learn more
Having so much coffee competition on our doorstep we have to work hard to hold onto our title of ‘Coffee Kings of Coffee Corner’, as voted by our own very discerning customers…
We use a blend of beans from Hundred House Coffee. They are a roastery grounded in art, music and community… sounds good to us and tastes even better!
You can buy Picnic coffee beans to enjoy at home, either whole or ground. Just ask at the counter.

Click toasted sandwiches to learn more
Each morning we prepare a selection of sandwiches for toasting.
We use a traditional French-style sliced loaf made with rye, wheat and spelt. This is supplied by Syd Aston at Aston’s bakehouse, free from additives and made using time-honoured artisan techniques. Organic.
We use a lovely selection of cheeses and our meat supplied by the excellent Pangbourne butcher, Green’s.
We have built our business on supplying the best products we can find to our discerning customers. We are proud to use their products, they include…
www.greensofpangbourne.com
www.laceysfamilyfarm.co.uk
www.astonsbakehouse.co.uk
www.hundredhousecoffee.com
www.rise-bakehouse.co.uk
www.leoparddairyproducts.com
www.dweleggandson.co.uk
www.cobblelanecured.com

Monday – Saturday 7 am-4:30 pm
Sunday 9 am-4:30 pm
” My favourite choice for a lunch stop in town… Delicious dinner boxes and sandwiches- all freshly made, with quality ingredients and indulgent but healthy choices. Service is swift, attentive and friendly… The menu options vary from day to day, and it’s a delight seeing what’s on offer. Such a welcome break from the formula of chain cafes and plastic-wrapped options available elsewhere. ”