The owner of a restaurant badly damaged by fire has spoken of his devastation but has vowed to bounce back.
Firefighters from across Greater Manchester were called to Beefalo Meat House on Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge on Monday just after 11am.
The fire ripped through the roof of the restaurant and fire crews remained on the scene until 6pm.
Turkish chef Bayram Yuce, owner of Beefalo Meat House, has said he is sorry to customers and staff that the restaurant has had to close because of the fire.
The fire broke out on the day the restaurant was set to host a fundraiser for victims of the earthquake in Turkey.
Mr Yuce said: “We are extremely sorry about the situation and especially when it’s just happened before our donation night.
“We haven’t experienced anything like this before so we don’t have much idea about the process therefore it’s hard to say what will happen next but we will try our best to open our venue back as soon as we can.
“It’s hard to say how long will it take to reopen as we haven’t even received the investigation report.”
Fire crews were at the scene until 6pm with police officers directing slow moving traffic.
Station Manager for Bolton North Fire Station and Horwich Fire Station, Ady Taylor said: “It seems to be an accidental fire, and we are still unsure as to how it started.
“We managed to contain the fire around the roof area and stopped it from spreading any further.
“We also made sure everyone was out and that there was nothing left in the building.
“The owners were in attendance and were devastated.”
The fire was tackled by using five fire appliances and one specialist hydraulic platform to target the fire from above.
Beefalo Meat House was due to host a Turkey Donation Appeal night from 4pm to 10pm last night, raising money for Turkey and Syria’s earthquake victims.
Mr Yuce said: “Obviously we had to cancel the night but we will try our best to help.
“They still need our help and we will always be there to support them.
“We are extremely sorry that we need to go through an unexpected construction period and all the bookings had cancelled but we are looking forward to be back for customers.”
Staff are currently being supported by the restaurant and would be updated in due course.
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Bolton Beefalo Meat House shut after fire
Bolton's Beefalo Meat House shut after fire rips through roof
Farnworth fire crews attend van fire in the early hours
Mr Yuce said: “I am very sad but it’s one of those things, and you can’t do anything about it.
“It happened, and now we all focus on how to get back to normal as soon as possible.”
The restaurant is situated in the historic St Paul's Church schoolhouse and is known for its luxury fine dining, offering a £150 golden steak.
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