Northamptonshire village community rallies around popular takeaway after it was badly damaged by fire

A Northamptonshire community has rallied around a popular village takeaway after it was badly damaged by a fire.

Hong Kong Chef in The Ridings, Roade was ‘severely damaged’ by smoke after a deep fat fryer overheated and caught on fire last Tuesday (February 9).

Nobody was hurt and the fire service was able to extinguish the blaze, but the business has been left struggling.

The community has now rallied around the owners by donating to an online fundraiser set up by a former resident to help the takeaway get back on its feet.

Steve Stark, the man behind the fundraiser, said: “I personally wanted to help because I grew up in Roade and lived there until very recently.

“I spent many a drunken night ordering food from the chippy.

“We are living in trying times where people’s livelihoods are threatened and income is being reduced across the board.

“In reaction to that, there has been a huge community spirit in Roade and in other places too in relation to the pandemic, and it is great to see this as an extension of that.

“A little bit of kindness and good spirit is needed in these dark times more than ever.

“It is important to support local businesses during these trying times, so setting up the page was the least I could do.”

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service added: “Crews from Mereway and the Mounts were called to reports of a fire at a restaurant at The Ridings in Roade at 4.01pm on Tuesday (February 9).

“The restaurant had a domestic property at the rear of the building, and when crews arrived they found a deep fat fryer that had overheated and was moderately damaged by fire, with the flames having spread to the extraction system.

“Firefighters used a hose reel and an ultra-high pressure lance to extinguish the flames, and two breathing apparatus, a thermal imaging camera and PPV fans were used to safely secure the building before crews left the scene at 5.15pm.

“The property was severely damaged by smoke, but thankfully nobody was harmed during the incident as people had managed to leave the building before the crews arrived.”

To help support the business and donate to the fundraiser, visit the GoFundMe page here.

Message from the editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper while out for your essential shopping.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the highest standards in the world. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you