Fire breaks out at Gaerwen Arms on Anglesey

A huge fire has ripped through a popular village pub on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales owned by former Junior Chef of Wales Andrew Tabberner and business partner Oli Thompson.

The fire, which caused extensive damage to the building, started yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 5 June) around 3.35pm according to the Daily Post.

Fire crews from Caernarfon, Bangor, Holyhead and Llandudno attended the scene. The aerial ladder platform from Bangor and the Incident Command Unit from Rhyl were also in attendance. Local traffic was suspended and village residents advised to keep windows and doors closed due to the smoke, with firefighters attending the blaze until 9.59pm.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the fire was an accident involving a tumble dryer housed in an outbuilding, quickly spreading to the pub building and causing “substantial damage” to the outbuilding, kitchen, restaurant and bar.

There were no injuries or casualties. The food-led pub, which opened in 2019 with 110 covers across a bar and restaurant, was closed on Tuesdays when the fire broke out.

In a statement on Instagram the pub said: "Yesterday afternoon, the most devastating fire ripped through the Gaerwen Arms – at speeds that couldn't be controlled, causing catastrophic damage to our kitchen and restaurant.

"We are beyond thankful that the Gaerwen was closed yesterday – there were no staff inside and nobody was hurt. It doesn't bear thinking about how differently things could have been.

"We've got a long road ahead, but you all know how much we love a challenge. The amount of support Andy, Oli and eveyone at the GA have already received has been overwhelming – we can never thank you enough. It's incredible how communities come together in times like this.

"We will be back, and we'll see you all soon."