Pub blaze boss looks to future

Standing in the smoke blackened rooms of his once bustling pub, owner Tony Crosbie looked past the damage and vowed to bring it back better than ever.

Fairweathers’ Bar and Restaurant caught fire in the early hours of Saturday morning, huge plumes of smoke filling nearby streets.

But far from dwelling on the misfortune, Tony is supporting shocked staff and making plans.

“It’s looking like it’s going to be a long haul to get Fairweathers back on its feet, so we’re looking at 12 to 15 months before we’ll be able to reopen, but we are planning to be back.”

Tony says that while the fire is a major setback, he is already actioning plans to ensure both staff and booked events for loyal customers will be able to be hosted at his alternative venues in Blenheim.

“We’ve already started work on new plans to reshuffle shifts and secure roles and hours for staff, as well as also organising how we can continue following through on event bookings.”

The fire in the Scott Street business in Blenheim was called in to emergency crews at about 7.18am on Saturday morning.

Fire crews from Blenheim Renwick and Picton responded with almost 40 firefighters on the ground at one point.

A Fire and Emergency representative says six trucks, support vehicles and 30 to 40 firefighters responded, and firefighters found the kitchen, bar and roof already well ablaze upon arrival.

It took two hours to bring the fire under control. The road was cordoned off for most of the day.

Hato Hone St John sent one ambulance to the scene and say one patient in a moderate condition was transferred to Wairau Hospital.

Nearby business owners and customers were quick to post on social media, passing on their thoughts to Tony and his team.

Tony also owns nearby Urban Café and the Springlands Tavern. He hopes customers will continue to support the businesses.

“The Fairweathers’ team will continue being a part of warmly welcoming punters at both the Springlands Tavern and Urban Fare Café, which in the meantime I’m planning to keep open later now as a little Fairweather’s.”

In a social media post Tony thanked everyone who stepped in to help.

“To our amazing Marlborough community and loyal customers, we are heartbroken to share that Fairweathers on Scott has been impacted by a fire.

“We want to thank the firefighters, first responders, and everyone in the community for your support during this difficult time. We’ll keep you updated as we work towards rebuilding and reopening.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding. We can’t wait to welcome you back when the time is right.”