A FIRE and a hurricane were not enough to stop a Stretton-under-Fosse farm shop rising from the ashes.
Malt Kiln Farm Shop was devastated by an inferno caused by burglars in June last year.
The business swiftly re-opened – firstly in a marquee to sell the strawberries that were ready to pick at the time of the fire, and later in an agricultural shed converted into a mini version of the destroyed shop, complete with butcher’s counter.
The rebuild started immediately when planning permission for the restored shop was granted in January – but a batch of roof sheets due for delivery on the day of Storm Doris in February ended up at the bottom of a motorway embankment.
But grit and determination has seen the business bounce back – and on Friday (August 25) the rebuilt shop will be officially opened by Mark Pawsey MP.
The owners are bringing their farm to the shop for the re-opening, including livestock and farm machinery – such as a combine harvester and a Little Grey Fergie tractor which was scorched by the fire but now restored to its former glory.
There will also be a straw castle, a sunflower maze and lots of local produce to sample.
Visit www.maltkilnfarmshop.co.uk for more information.