Fire-hit burger shed reopens after 'fantastic' help

Higgsy's owners Amber Higgs and Adam Miller said they were "grateful" for all the support from the community

A family-run burger shed destroyed in a suspected arson attack has reopened thanks to "overwhelming" support from customers, the owners have said.

Higgsy's, at Norman Cross in Yaxley near Peterborough, was damaged overnight on 30 September.

Owner Adam Miller said the premises were "completely gutted", leaving him and his partner Amber Higgs "fearful for its future".

But about £8,000 was raised by local businesses and customers to help rebuild it — a response Mr Miller described as "fantastic".

Higgsy's burger shed reopened at the weekend after a five-week transformation

The business has been damaged by a series of fires.

Mr Miller described the most recent as "apocalyptic", adding: "Most of the equipment and timber cladding was burnt, and the fire had got into the hatch — it burnt and melted everything.

"It would have cost thousands to replace, and that's something we simply didn't have," he said.

Higgsy's supporters, including loyal customers and local businesses, rallied around to help bring the business back to life.

"The transformation was enormous," Mr Miller said.

"We started by ripping everything out and building it back up again.

"Our followers set up a GoFundMe page, and we've used those funds for almost everything — new paintwork, CCTV, and lighting."

'Wine, champagne and flowers'

Donated equipment included a new grill, while local artist Nathan Murdoch did a new paint job, complete with artwork inspired by Mr Miller's tattoos.

"We owe an incomprehensible debt of gratitude to every single person who so generously donated to the GoFundMe page set up on our behalf," Mr Miller said.

"People have been visiting us with wine, champagne, and flowers — it feels fantastic to be back."

Cambridgeshire Police has launched an appeal for witnesses and dashcam footage after a series of suspected arson attacks at the shed.

Previous fires were reported at the same premises at about 06:00 BST on 16 August and 17:30 on 16 September, a police spokesperson said.

Correction: An earlier version of this story wrongly stated that three people had been arrested in connection with the investigation.