Holt supermarket fire: Budgens to open temporary store in car park

An electrical fault caused the fire, an investigation concluded

A town whose only supermarket burnt down during the first lockdown will soon have a temporary store which has been constructed in the car park.

Budgens, described as a "lifeline" by customers in Holt, Norfolk, was gutted by fire in June.

Owners CT Baker said the 5,000 sq ft store in Kerridge Way would open seven days a week from 23 November.

It expects the store to stay put while a permanent replacement is built, subject to planning permission.

Eight fire crews and 14 appliances were called to the fire at its height, with smoke visible from 10 miles away.

No-one was in the building at the time and an investigation concluded the fire was caused by an electrical fault.

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Managing director Jane Gurney-Read said: "The Budgens of Holt team are looking forward to welcoming back our customers who have shown us so much support in the months since we lost our supermarket in such terrible circumstances.

"It has, without question, been a challenging year, but we are determined to end it on a positive note and are looking forward to being at the heart of Holt's community once more."

Holt's Post Office, which was within Budgens, will remain in Bakers & Larners department store while the temporary store operates.

Bakers & Larners has a food hall and the town has independent food shops, but since the fire the nearest supermarket has been seven miles (11km) away in Sheringham.