AN UPPERMILL restaurant badly damaged by fire has begun the long road to recovery as work gets under way to make the building safe and clear the damage.
Hot Duck and the Hei Hei Eaterie, on High Street, were hit by a serious blaze on Sunday, September 6, which saw emergency services descend on the centre of the village.
Road closures remained in place into the evening as firefighters tackled the incident, while three people were treated at the scene for minor smoke inhalation.
In the immediate aftermath, the restaurant’s owners described seeing the damage to a business they had worked hard to build over the years as “heart breaking.”
Now, they have issued a further update confirming the first steps towards reopening are already being taken.
Sharing images showing the extent of the damage, the business said: “It has been a difficult week. These photos show just some of the substantial damage caused by the fire. There’s no doubt that we have a huge amount of work ahead of us.
“But even in such difficult circumstances, we’ve been overwhelmed by how quickly people have stepped forward to help.
“A huge thank you to the fire crew for their response and incredible efforts on the day. We are extremely grateful for everything they did.”
The owners also thanked people from the building trade who stepped forward in the days following the blaze.
They added: “A very special thank you to our friends in the building trade who acted immediately.
“Within days, work has already begun to make the building safe, clear the damage and begin the recovery. We couldn’t have asked for better people around us.
“Considering where we were only a few days ago, an incredible amount has already been achieved.”
While the scale of the damage means there remains considerable work to be done, the team is determined to bring the popular High Street business back.
They summed up their latest update with a positive message for customers: “There’s still a long way to go, but the comeback has begun.”
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