The Warehouse at Setchey to host new monthly farmers’ and craft market from May - with work to rebuild restaurant’s kitchen also expected to start soon

A new monthly farmers’ and craft market is set to soon bring the beer garden of a fire-damaged West Norfolk venue “back to life”.

The Warehouse at Setchey will be holding the new event on the first Saturday of every month, beginning on May 3 - while its team has stated that they are “optimistic” that the rebuild process of the bar and restaurant’s kitchen will also start soon.

A blaze broke out at the venue on October 10, 2024, which caused “substantial” damage to the kitchen - but fire doors and other prevention methods meant the bar and restaurant areas were spared from major harm.

The new monthly event will aim to “create a vibrant, community-focused market that showcases local produce and businesses”, officials have said.

“We’re passionate about creating family-friendly activities and, with the space available, we thought a market would be the perfect addition to the site,” said Amanda Waterfield, marketing manager.

“We can’t wait to welcome everyone.”

Plans are currently being finalised, with the businesses booked in set to be announced over the coming weeks.

Director Jason Clark said: “We got in touch with a few local breweries and distilleries, and we're thrilled to announce that we'll be hosting some fantastic pop-up guests, including WhataHoot Distillery from King’s Lynn.

“It’ll be the perfect spot to relax in the sun with a drink in hand.”

Held at The Warehouse, the market will be surrounded by other attractions including its sister businesses Beers of Europe, Britain's biggest beer shop, and The Warehouse Antiques and Collectables, East Anglia's largest antique centre with more than 100 dealer stands.

A spokesperson said that, since the fire closed The Warehouse six months ago, the team has received messages from “so many people” to share their condolences.

“Since the devastating fire in our restaurant's kitchen, we’ve been truly touched by the outpouring of support from the community,” they said.

“So many people have reached out to share their condolences and express how much they miss coming in for a cup of tea, a slice of cake, or a Sunday roast.

“One message that kept coming up was how much everyone missed our beer garden and with summer approaching, we knew we had to bring it back to life.”

As for the restaurant, the team are “committed” to making sure the reopening is the “best it can possibly be”.

“The fire caused substantial damage to the kitchen, but thanks to our fire safety measures, the bar and restaurant areas were spared from major harm,” the spokesperson added.

“We’ve had contractors visiting to quote for the work, and we’re optimistic that we’ll be able to start the rebuilding process soon.

“In the meantime, we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back to the beer garden to enjoy a drink and soak up the atmosphere.”