Bluebell Inn Fire: 'It was a devastating fire but our spirits are high' say owners

Customers ran from the burning Bluebell Inn in Guarlford, Malvern as flames and smoke poured from the roof.

Co-owner Andy Spencer believes the fire started when a glass bottle on the window sill caught on fire in the ground floor restaurant area which is at the back of the building. 

He said the pub will be closed for at least four to five weeks while renovations take place after Tuesday's fire. 

Staff were praised for swiftly evacuating the pub and saving the Grade II Listed area that dates back to 1512.

That part of the pub only suffered from minor smoke and water damage. 

The Bluebell Inn in Malvern

Mr Spencer said: "We are hoping to reopen by the end of July, we want to reopen in the summer. 

Owners of the Bluebell Inn Tony Aspley and Andrew Spencer

"A glass bottle on the window sill caught on fire because of the heat of the sun and spread to the roof of the restaurant area. 

"The whole of that roof is gone and the restaurant has gone.

The Bluebell Inn in Malvern

"The kitchen is fine, the fire started to spread to the bar area and customer toilets but the fire crew got there in time, so the fire didn't get to the listed area. 

The Bluebell Inn in Malvern

"The restaurant area will need to be rebuilt because it's lost its structure. "The rest of the building has water and smoke damage.

"We had to leave the site for two days, luckily our private accommodation is above the listed part, which only has minor water and smoke damage. 

"It was a devastating fire, but it's not going to get our spirits down."

The Bluebell Inn in Malvern

The owner Mr Spencer and his partner Tony Aspley say the staff will still receive full pay while the pub is closed. 

Mr Spencer said: "They will remain employed. The staff was amazing. It took 42 seconds for us to evacuate the building. The fire crew said if we left it any later, the damage could have been much worse." 

The Bluebell Inn in Malvern

Mr Spencer thanked the community for showing its support.

He said: "We are grateful for the amount of support from the community. The kind comments have really got us through the last couple of days and helped us keep going."