A cafe is reopening just weeks after the kitchen was destroyed by fire.

The Airport Cafe on Ashford Road, Sellindge, will open its doors again on Saturday – just 26 days after the fire on Monday, September 7.

Owner Patrick Breen has praised his staff for their hard work and efforts in getting the cafe back up and running so quickly.

He and his wife, Julie, were left devastated when the blaze ripped through the kitchen after starting in the griddle.

“We’ve more or less rebuilt the place,” Mr Breen said. “It’s like a phoenix rising from the ashes.”

The couple claimed fire crews taking more than 30 minutes to arrive led to thousands of pounds of additional damage which could have been prevented.

Mr Breen told KentOnline he is still waiting to hear from Kent Fire and Rescue Service regarding its investigation into his allegations they responded too slowly to the call.

The Breens were told crews were unable to get to the scene because Ashford crews were dealing with a Spitfire crash-landing in Woodchurch.

The cafe has been in Mrs Breen’s family for 57 years and she took over running it from her parents when they retired more than 20 years ago.