WELL-WISHERS have raised more than £15,000 of a £20,000 target for the Dunster owners of Reeves fine-dining restaurant which was forced to close after being ravaged by fire last month.

The multi-award winning restaurant has been owned by chef Justin Reeves and his wife Claire for nearly 20 years.

The family, who live on the upper two floors of the property, escaped without injury from the fire, which involved a tumble dryer on the ground floor to the rear of the restaurant.

Since then, the Dunster community has rallied round the family to help clean out the severely damaged building and provide practical and financial aid, offers of accommodation, and personal and business support.

Mrs Reeves said: “My brother Nigel has set up a GoFundMe page to help us with our personal items as we unfortunately did not have contents insurance for them.

“We have been overwhelmed by how generous people have been.

“Since the fire, huge progress has been made to clear things up thanks to the help and support of so many people.

“The new accommodation has brought with it an immense sense of calm which no doubt will give us strength to carry on with the enormous task ahead of us.

“Without the wonderful support we have had, we would be in a very different predicament.”

Commenting on the cash support from the community, the couple said: “In addition to so many people, families, friends, and customers donating, so many of you have donated anonymously so we will never be able to thank you in person.

“You know who you are and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

“We are truly humbled.”

In a progress report for the Free Press this week, the couple said: “We have pretty much emptied our living accommodation of most of what we can salvage, but what we cannot salvage is in our garden which resembles something far worse than Steptoe’s yard and is very upsetting.

“We have had the most amazing support from the Dunster and wider community, who have been swift in responding to any pleas for help on our Facebook page.

“Thank you to the wonderful ladies from Dunster’s Knit and Natter group who came mob handed and filled three vehicles with some of our most precious possessions to take them away and clean them and store them for us.

“It has been a pretty awful experience and there is still a long way to go, but without our wonderful community we could not have got this far.”

Amid the stress of putting their lives together again, Mrs Reeves recalled a small incident which she says touched her heart.

She said: “While in a supermarket with our disabled son a lady who was unknown to me came up as I was checking out and bought us a box of chocolates.

“It was so touching and so thoughtful but since the fire, people’s kindness has been just endless.”

The GoFundMe page is still active for anybody who wants to support the couple.