A POPULAR farm shop near Worcester has opened its doors today for the first time since a fire ripped through the site.

Brett Wilkinson, owner of The Farm Shop at Ombersley, has said he is thrilled to be able to welcome customers back.

“We are so excited to be re-opening after working day and night to rebuild the shop," he told the Worcester News.

"I am so proud of my wonderful team and our amazing customers for their hard work and unwavering support during this difficult time.

“We actually were able to re-open just days after the fire selling compost and plants that hadn’t been damaged. Hundreds of people visited the farm shop and bought the remaining stock – it was such a nice gesture from the community.

“Now we can give something back and invite customers in to take a look around our newly built farm shop. We will be selling meat, fresh fruit and veg, pork pies, milk, bread, eggs, cakes and much more. It will be amazing to see everyone. I can’t wait!”

Mr Wilkinson was left devastated after the shop was ravaged by the major fire that raged for 10 hours. Eight fire crews were sent out to tackle the blaze at the shop on Holt Fleet Road on Saturday May 23.

At the time Mr Wilkinson said: “ It is heartbreaking. I have lost my home as I lived in the building next door. All I ever do is work, the shop is my life and now it is gone. It feels like the end.

“I have had it for 16 years, and I was so close to getting it exactly how I wanted it, people were loving it. My last project to perfect the place was going to be a large garden area around the ponds where children can play and families can gather. I can’t do that anymore. I was so close to making it. I was about to semi-retire.”

The cause of the fire has not yet been officially confirmed but Mr Wilkinson said the blaze is thought to have been started by the sun shining through a skylight.

He said: “The fire service have said it was an accident. They think the sun shining through a skylight in one of the buildings started the fire. It was near to the greenhouses so there was lots of glass. I think that was why I heard an explosion when I first discovered the fire."

A spokesman for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said: “From the fire service investigation, the most likely cause is determined to be ‘accidental – natural process.’

The Farm Shop in Ombersley will open today (Thursday) from 9am to 5pm.

To see how we reported on the fire at the time, click here