Skip to content

Village shop reopens its doors 18 months after fire

BBC The interior of the newly restored café. There is a warm orange glow from the sun outside. In the centre of the room there is a large wooden shelving unit which has jars of preserves, flower, sugar and lactose free milk stacked neatly. On the top are potted plants. To the left of the image is the till area with fabric bunting hanging from the counter. In the background there are refillable jars and more wooden stands full of products.BBC
The community shop and café specialises in organic produce from local vendors

A village shop and café has finally reopened after a fire broke out in the roof and destroyed the building.

Brockweir Village Shop and Café in Chepstow, Gloucestershire, has endured 18 months of uncertainty after it was forced to close its doors following the blaze in June 2023.

Volunteers have worked hard to rebuild the "social hub of the community", after it suffered significant fire and water damage and lost some of its stock.

General manager Kristian Vaughan-Adkins said he is looking forward to things "returning to normal" and welcoming back their loyal customers.

Brockweir Village Shop and Café A side by side image showing the damage from the fire. The left image shows a view inside the cafe through a hole in the woof. The tiles and insulation have fallen down and there is significant water damage. On the right it shows a view through the roof hole from inside the cafe, with the ceiling tiles and roof slates fallen through.Brockweir Village Shop and Café
The fire caused significant smoke and water damage to the café

The shop, which is run by local volunteers, was officially opened by the Prince of Wales in 2004.

The staff were discussing how they planned to mark the 20th anniversary when the fire burned up any chance of a celebration.

"It looked pretty grim in here," recalled Mr Vaughan-Adkins.

"Everything was soaking and there was about an inch of water throughout the whole shop."

Mr Vaughan-Adkins sitting down at a cafe table on the left. He is wearing a short-sleeved grey t-shirt, has short dark hair and a beard. Ms Vivian is sitting beside him on the right, wearing black framed glasses and a red turtleneck jumper with colourful specks on it. Behind them you can see the cafe and adjoining shop in the distance.
Mr Vaughan-Adkins (L) and Ms Vivian (R) described the café as a local "lifeline"

Sally Vivian, 54, has been part of the volunteer committee at the café since joining in 2020.

Since the majority of the staff were elderly, she stepped in to help keep them safe at home and "never looked back".

"During Covid we were the lifeline for many people who didn't want to go shopping in a big supermarket. They felt comfortable coming here," said Ms Vivian.

"It's the social hub of the community. We have a lot of people who come in everyday, pick up the newspapers, do their shopping, sit for a cup of coffee and meet new people."

Brockweir Village Shop and Café The exterior of the café and shop, taken on a sunny day in August when the whole building was under construction to repair the fire and water damage. There is scaffolding and plastic sheeting surrounding the building. The roof tiles have been taken down and you can see the insulation beneath. Outside the entrance there is metal heras fencing, green bins, and wooden picnic benches stacked in a pile.Brockweir Village Shop and Café
Construction to repair the damage has been underway for the last 18 months

Ms Vivian says she is "relieved" to see the doors to the "active and vibrant" hub open once again.

"It was brilliant to see everybody coming in and enjoying themselves," she said.

"It's also been really good to welcome all of our local suppliers back in.

"So much of our stock is from the local area and it's been great to reward them for all the support they've given us in the last 18 months."

A view inside the café towards the shop. There are large wooden shelving units which have been decorated with potted plants. There is colourful fabric bunting hanging from the wooden ceiling rafters. In the background there is the shop, with fridges and shelves full of local and organic produce.
The café has installed new wooden shelving units built by staff and volunteers

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

Related Internet Links
More on this story