Hook Norton Brewery thanks fire crews after 'catastrophic' blaze

A 175-year-old independent brewery has thanked firefighters for their efforts to contain a "catastrophic" fire that severely damaged their stables.

The blaze broke out at Hook Norton Brewery, near Banbury in Oxfordshire, shortly after 12:30 BST on Monday.

Nobody was hurt and the shire horses used by the business for deliveries were also unharmed - they were out in the fields when the flames ignited.

The fire service said an investigation into the cause was ongoing.

Ten crews from across the county were deployed to extinguish the fire as they fought to protect it from spreading.

Firefighters remained at the scene damping down more than 24 hours later.

In a video message, brewery manager James Clarke expressed gratitude for the "fantastic response" from emergency services, the National Grid and Environmental Agency, as well as for the messages of support from the public.

"We suffered a fairly catastrophic fire at the brewery," he said.

"The fire has affected the first floor of the stable block and you can see the damage behind me.

"Everybody is safe, evacuation plans worked, and the horses are safe - they were out in the field at the time of the fire.

"We are open as normal. Clearly, there is a lot of work to do to rebuild the first floor of the stables."

The brewery has been crafting ales, lagers and stouts since 1849.

It is one of last remaining breweries in the country that still owns shire horses, once the staple breed used to draw brewers' drays.

Mr Clarke said the timing of the fire was especially unfortunate given the site had been celebrating its 175th anniversary year.

"But onwards and upwards, we will get over this," he added.

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