Michelin-starred Horsham restaurant set to reopen after blaze

One of Horsham's most prestigious restaurants will reopen two months after the building was gutted by a '˜devastating' blaze on Christmas Eve.
Tristan and Candy outside Restaurant Tristan. Pic Steve Robards  SR1604250 SUS-160902-160611001Tristan and Candy outside Restaurant Tristan. Pic Steve Robards  SR1604250 SUS-160902-160611001
Tristan and Candy outside Restaurant Tristan. Pic Steve Robards SR1604250 SUS-160902-160611001

Michelin-starred Restaurant Tristan was left looking like ‘Armageddon’ after the fire, according to owner Tristan Mason.

But after weeks of repairing, cleaning and decorating, the restaurant is set to open its doors for the first time since the blaze on Tuesday February 23.

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Tristan said: “It is a massive relief just to say that it is behind us now and we can move forward.

“The smoke damage throughout wrecked the whole building, so there was no choice in the matter, we had to start again.”

Tristan and wife Candy were woken by a phone call at 4.30am on Christmas Eve, and were told about the incident at their business in East Street.

Firefighters battling the electrical fire, which started in the first floor bar area, had managed to saved the building, but huge damage was caused.

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The couple walked into the town centre to see the damage - the extent of which was a ‘massive shock’.

Tristan said: “We walked down there wishing that it wasn’t going to be as bad as it seemed - we thought it would be fine to open in the morning.

“But when we got there the fire had been slowly ticking away for two and a half hours, burning glass and plastic.

“It was Armageddon in there. We couldn’t believe what we saw, it was devastating.”

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The couple had recently set up the restaurant how they wanted it to look, Tristan explained, making the timing even more difficult.

He added: “Three weeks before the fire we got new tables and chairs.

“We felt that was the final bit of the puzzle, so for everything to be wiped out in one go is a bit ironic really.”

Still reeling from the shock, they had a quiet Christmas - Candy explained they ‘battened down the hatches and shut everything out’, spending the day with their three children and new kitten.

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And they could do little more than cancel bookings while forensic units investigated until December 29.

Since then, the restaurant has been a hive of activity, with Tristan and his staff revamping the destroyed interior.

After two weeks of cleaning and two of decorating, refitting the kitchen and replacing the floor, the renovation is almost complete.

Tristan thanked the fire service for their work at the scene of the fire, and the public for their support.

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He added: “If the fire would have carried on longer, we probably would have lost the whole building.

“We have had so much support from everybody, friends and customers from the restaurant. My staff have been willing to get their hands dirty.”

And he assured customers: “It will be business as usual from the 23rd.”

After the incident, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters used four breathing apparatus and two hose reels during a successful battle with the flames.

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Fire investigators determined that the blaze was accidental.

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