Village shop reopens its doors 18 months after fire

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.

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 (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."

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."

The café has installed new wooden shelving units built by staff and volunteers