OWNERS of a Chepstow-based food van which was recently destroyed by a fire say they are determined to rebuild and become stronger than ever.

Kyle Gettings and Kelly Gettings, owners of ‘Only Foods and Sauces’, were recently set back after a blaze tore down their ‘burger van’ in Bulwark Industrial Estate. While their second van in Coleford remains functional, the loss of their primary van has had a significant financial impact.

However, the owners remain optimistic. I spoke with co-owner and Chepstow resident Kyle Gettings who told me they are going to recover, and how they plan to get back on their feet.

Kyle said: “We will open back up by hook or by crook. We’ll raise the money, we’ll do whatever it takes.

“I don’t want this to be a sob story. This is a rebuild. We’re not thinking ‘this happened, that happened’ - forget it, it’s happened. Nothing we can do to control what’s happened, but we can control the outcome.

“We’re going to come back, we’re going to rebuild and we’re going to be better than ever”

Kyle and Kelly have had the business for around four years and had a previous location, but the business saw significant improvement when they secured the Bulwark Industrial Estate location, which the business moved to around a year ago.

The business’ success can be seen through their impressive use of TikTok, garnering half a million views in their first month of use. This managed to attract customers from places as far as London and Birmingham to try the burgers for themselves.

While the owners have not had it easy, they have never experienced anything like the blaze which destroyed their beloved Chepstow van.

Kyle said: “Kelly and I come from a very poor background. No money, used to be on benefits. Started with nothing. We’ve had everything we’ve built through sheer hard work and determination. We got knocked down a million times, and we got back up a million more times.

“The fire is a big blow to us. However, we do what we do best - we get up, we dust ourselves off and we fight back.”

This grit and determination will be the driving force behind the plans for the pair. Kyle told me they need to find another trailer with the specifications the business needs. Trailers like this are not easy to find and may need to be custom-made. The cost of the food vans can be upwards of £40,000.

Additionally, the business’ loss of earnings without an operational van is thousands of pounds a week. However, the owners have already had members of the community reach out with their support via social media.

One member of the community suggested a crowdfunder such as Kickstarter, which Kyle said they will consider. Crowdfunding websites like this allow members of the community to support individuals and businesses both financially and with well-wishes.

Kyle said once the business can get the funds together, they plan to have a grand reopening, where it will invite the community, including supporters, customers and food bloggers.

This is testament to the community ethos that the business has. Only Foods and Sauces contributed every Sunday, cooking 30 meals and driving into the community to feed the homeless.

While the Coleford van remains open in New Dunn Business park, fans of the Chepstow location will need to wait to hear more news.

Until then, customers and supporters can keep up to date via its TikTok @onlyfoods_and_sauces or via its Facebook page - where you can also see varied content from their menu, including breakfast trays, burgers and more.