As the fallout from the Ryde Castle fire starts to unfold, we got in touch with the owner, pub retailer and brewer, Greene King to find out what their short and medium plans for the building are.
Restore as soon as possible
It will be comforting for many to hear that the owners tell us they plan to restore the historic building as soon as possible, adding that they were “deeply upset about the damage.”
Awaiting full investigation
A spokesperson for Greene King told VB, “We are still in the early process of investigating the fire at Ryde Castle Hotel. At this stage the cause of the fire has not been confirmed. We do know that fireworks were set off from the roof of the building as part of the wedding function. The police had been notified of this in advance.
“It certainly appears possible that the fireworks were the cause but we will have to wait for a full investigation by the fire service to be completed to get all the facts.”
Steve Apter, chief fire officer, said, “Thankfully, nobody was injured during fire and I would like to take this opportunity to praise the staff for their quick actions in evacuating the guests and thank the firefighters and our colleagues in partner agencies for their professionalism in tackling this incident.”
Holding management
The spokesperson for Greene King went on to say, “The hotel was under holding management on the night of the fire as new managers were due to start in a couple of weeks. The previous manager had been present during the day to hand over the wedding function before leaving the hotel around 7pm.
“All fire procedures were followed and everyone was evacuated safely. Our priority remains to be in contact with both current and future guests to ensure they are looked after and to make alternative arrangements for them.
Support for staff
Some readers have expressed concern for the staff’s future during the closure. Greene King told VB, “The Ryde Castle Hotel employs 17 people and a team meeting was held on 18 March. We will continue to meet with staff to keep them updated and to look for opportunities to find temporary positions for them at our nearby establishments.
“The full extent of the damage is not yet known and the hotel will be closed for the foreseeable future.”
Image: Wight Media Services
