Gonalston Farm Shop owner opens up about the fire that destroyed her Lowdham business

The owner of a farm shop destroyed in a massive blaze says she has been left devastated, but hopes her business will survive.

Fire broke out at Gonalston Farm Shop Budgens on Southwell Road, Lowdham, in the early hours of Monday.

Fire crews were on the scene within minutes but could not prevent huge damage to the premises, which housed the family business of 20 years.

Georgina Mason, a joint owner and director alongside her husband, Ross, was left devastated.

“The community is devastated that this happened, and our understanding is that the community feels like they’ve lost a person, that the shop is gone,” she said.

“I feel their pain because it’s our shop but the community has sent so many warm wishes to get us going and be back as soon as possible.”

At its peak, eight fire engines, one aerial ladder platform and one water carrier were at the scene.

Georgina praised the response of the emergency services.

She said: “I live next to the farm shop, I was woken at eight minutes past one in the morning with the fire alarm going off,

“I looked out of my window and flames were coming out of the roof. It was catastrophic.

“The emergency services were simply unbelievably quick and amazing to react to the fire, they were nine minutes from me calling, to being on site.”

The business that started in 2002 and opened its doors in August, 12, 2003. It currently employs 38 people.

"I need time to get my head straight, it's such early days, but we want to keep trading, we want to open.

"It is just devastating what has happened to this business."

The investigation on the cause of the fire is still ongoing.