Waitrose Hove works on reopening after warehouse fire

Fire at Hove Waitrose

The community is waiting to welcome back a beloved local supermarket after a fire broke out at Waitrose on Nevill Road in Hove early on Tuesday morning. East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service received reports of the incident at 3.46am, with fire engines from Hove, Preston Circus, and Eastbourne attending the scene, supported by West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service. In total, 10 fire engines were present at the height of the fire.

Sussex Police and South East Coast Ambulance Service also attended the incident. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported. The fire originated from a warehouse chiller, and fire crews worked swiftly to contain it thanks to their quick action and the support of Waitrose staff.

Community impact

Nevill Road was closed for several hours whilst emergency services dealt with the incident, reopening around 10am. Since the fire, the store has remained closed, leaving some regulars wondering when they might return.

Local resident Crispin Taylor, 71, who lives nearby and regularly visits the Waitrose cafe, expressed his attachment to the store. "I live up the hill, and I depend on it a lot and I come in the cafe, and I know a lot of the staff by name," he said. He added that he has been checking on progress, hearing different timescales from security staff ranging from a potential Monday reopening to a couple of weeks.

Waitrose's commitment

Waitrose has confirmed they are working on getting the shop open again as soon as they can, and have committed to providing updates when more information becomes available. The supermarket has apologised for the inconvenience caused to customers. In the meantime, customers can visit the Waitrose stores in Brighton and Southwick, which remain open as normal.

Moving forward

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service thanked their crews, partner agencies, the local community, and members of the public for their cooperation during the incident. A fire investigation will take place to establish further details about what caused the blaze.

The Hove community continues to await news of the store's reopening, with Waitrose committed to returning to serving the local area as soon as possible.

Source: Waitrose gives update as customers ask when will supermarket reopen after fire