Fife’s Boat Brae has been given a major refurbishment after a devastating fire caused by a “self-combusting” tea towel.
The Newport business shut suddenly in July and the bar and restaurant only fully reopened this month after much of the interior was given an overhaul.
Now the owners, Fiona Beaton and her parents, Alan and Moira Beaton, have revealed the “extreme stress” the closure caused and the surprising reason for the blaze.
Forensic fire inspectors told them oily kitchen towels, which had been washed and tumble-dried, caught fire spontaneously.
Luckily the fire itself was contained to one area but the smoke spread throughout the building.
Such blazes have been reported elsewhere in the UK in pubs and restaurants.
They are caused when a flammable substance on laundry such as oil or grease is heated close to its ignition point from the heat of a tumble-drier.
The fabric and substance then self-heat further, leading to spontaneous combustion.
Self-combusting tea towel warning
The smoke damage at Boat Brae was so severe it even required a replacement of the electrics and plumbing.
By revealing the shock source of the blaze they hope it could help others in hospitality avoid the same fate.
Fiona said: “It was an extremely stressful time – even more stressful than the Covid closures.
“Every inch of the building was affected by the smoke so a full restoration was required.
“The fire was caused by oily kitchen towels that self-combusted in the warmth after being in the drier.
“I’ve since learnt that this is a common cause of fires both in hospitality and laundrettes.
“We will be outsourcing all our laundry from now on!”
Alan added: “Hopefully by sharing this, other businesses who maybe hadn’t heard about it will be aware it could happen.
“The plus side is it has given us a chance to step back and make some improvements and we’re so glad to be back open again.”
Vouchers purchased still valid
One of the main changes has been to the library area of the bar which has been incorporated into the restaurant.
Screens have also been removed from the bar area, opening it up to improve the live music experience.
The decking area looking out over the River Tay was unaffected by the fire.
A settlement with the business’ insurance company helped cover some of the costs involved.
All vouchers valid at the time of fire will be valid for the length of the five-month closure period.
Fiona hopes customers will return to the business again after a hugely successful first three years of operation.
She said: “It’s a massive relief to be open again.
“It’s great to see customers coming in and enjoying themselves.
“It has been a long haul for the remaining staff who played a big part in the clean-up process. So my thanks go out to them – and the ones who decided to move on during the course of the closure.
“The whole process after the fire was extremely complicated and a massive learning curve.
New head chef brought in
“Thankfully the public were very patient and gave us space to deal with everything.
“If it hadn’t been for the building and design expertise of my dad, Alan, the doors would still be shut.
“A big thanks also to all the trades companies involved. Their availability and hard work were vital in being able to open the place up again so quickly.”
The business, which is popular with Fifers as well as those in Dundee, has had to recruit nearly a full new team at a time when there is an exodus of staff from the industry following the pandemic.
New head chef, Greg Chisholm, has been brought in and is now recruiting for more kitchen staff.
Fiona added: “The silver lining of the whole situation was that it gave us time to take a step back from what is a non-stop business. We had the opportunity to make changes and improvements as well as some exciting plans for going forward.”
Conversation