Owners 'heartbroken' after 'devastating' fire in early hours at popular Sheffield cafe
Aesthete shop in Crosspool closed after blaze, but their Walkley shop still remains open
Owners of a popular Sheffield cafe have described themselves as ‘heartbroken’ after the venue was gripped by a serious fire in the early hours of the morning.
Firefighters were called to Aesthete in the middle of the night, after a fire had broken out inside the cafe on Sandygate Road, in Crosspool.
This morning, red and white tape used by the fire service for closing roads while they deal with emergencies could still be seen tied to lamp posts on both sides of the street, blowing in the wind, and the smell of smoke remained in the air.
Doors and windows near the back of the building were boarded up.
Bosses at the cafe, which also runs a second cafe in Walkley, described the fire in a statement as ‘devastating news’, and urged people to support them by using the Walkley venue, on South Road, while the Crosspool site is closed.
They said: “At 2.30am this morning, we were contacted by the fire brigade to let us know that our Crosspool kitchen had caught fire due to what is believed to have been an electrical fault
“Thankfully, nobody was hurt and everyone is safe, which is the most important thing. Sadly, the damage is significant.
“All of our kitchen equipment has been ruined, and our front of house has suffered smoke damage. Because of this, our Crosspool site will remain closed for the foreseeable future while we assess the damage and work out the next steps.
“We are absolutely heartbroken. If you would like to support us during this incredibly difficult time, we would love to welcome you at our Walkley site which will remain open as usual.”
Neighbouring business owners were shocked by the news.
One told the Star that there had been no sign anything had been wrong when she closed her own business a few doors down last night, and said she was keen to offer any help she could to the owners of Aesthete.