Megan Gale and partner Shaun Hampson’s trendy restaurant damaged in ‘serious’ fire – just months after it was ransacked by burglars
Supermodel Megan Gale and her AFL star partner Shaun Hampson have been forced to shut their Moonee Ponds restaurant Ascot Food + Wine indefinitely, after it was damaged in a major fire this week.
Fire Rescue Victoria crews were called to the venue at around 4.50pm on Tuesday afternoon after fire broke out in the kitchen area.
Firefighters were able to contain the blaze within minutes, and emergency services have confirmed the venue was unoccupied at the time of the fire.
Hampson announced his restaurant was no longer in operation on Tuesday afternoon, writing to Instagram: ‘After a serious fire, @ascotfoodandwine will unfortunately be closed until further notice.’
‘Apologies to anyone who had bookings. We’ll fill you in when we know more. Thanks for your continued support.’
Supermodel Megan Gale and her AFL star partner Shaun Hampson (both pictured) have been forced to shut their Victorian restaurant Ascot Food + Wine indefinitely, after it was damaged in a major fire this week
The restaurant’s Instagram account meanwhile uploaded a photo of fire engines parked on the street outside, adding the message: ‘It is with heavy hearts we wish to inform everyone that we will be closed until further notice.’
‘Everyone is safe and a big shoutout to the people that came to our aid,’ they added.
The inferno came just months after Gale and Hampson’s restaurant was targeted by thieves in February.
Fire Rescue Victoria crews were called to the venue at around 4.50pm on Tuesday afternoon after fire broke out in the kitchen area. (Pictured is the damaged venue following the fire)
Firefighters were able to contain the blaze within minutes, and emergency services have confirmed the venue was unoccupied at the time of the fire. (Pictured: The restaurant’s interior with visible smoke damage on the ceiling above the bar)
The offenders broke into the eatery and stole around $10-15,000 worth of liquor and $4000 cash, while leaving the office space in disarray.
The tip jar was also stolen.
‘Hospitality is challenging enough and to get broken into, it wasn’t so much what was taken more the inconvenience it caused,’ Hampson told the Herald Sun at the time.
Hampson announced his restaurant was no longer in operation on Tuesday afternoon, writing to Instagram: ‘After a serious fire, @ascotfoodandwine will unfortunately be closed until further notice’
The front veranda of the shuttered venue is pictured following the fire
The walls, roof and windows were left covered in ashes after the blaze
‘We are already short staffed and all of a sudden you have an office that’s turned upside down… it’s being kicked when the industry is already down.’
Chef and co-owner Dave Stewart meanwhile told the publication he felt ‘violated’ by the ransacking.
Just two years earlier, the restaurant had been forced to close for two and a half months due to to restrictions placed on restaurants amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Gale and Hampson opened the café with chef Stewart in December 2017.
Ash and smoke poured onto the veranda during the inferno, blackening the wood
The inferno came just months after Gale and Hampson’s restaurant was targeted by thieves in February
Chef and co-owner Dave Stewart (centre) told the Herald Sun he felt ‘violated’ by the ransacking
