Man fled Toby Carvery blaze with just his pet cat Lola

Ben Phillips, 32, lost everything except his phone, wallet and the clothes on his back when the roof of the Bishopstoke building caved in during the blaze.

But he made sure Lola came with him.

When he first woke up at 3.30am on December 29 to a 'sort of popping noise,' the restaurant resident said he did not 'think too much of it.'

“It’s an old building, it makes noises, so I tried to fall back asleep," Ben admitted.

But when the fire alarm went off 10 minutes later, Ben quickly realised he needed to grab his prized possession - his cat - and get out of the building.

Ben explained that he immediately jumped out of bed and hit the light switch, but the electricity had gone off and the room remained pitch black.

The roof at the Toby Carvery restaurant caved in due to fire damage. (Image: Hampshire Drone Company) “I turned on my phone torch, and that’s when I realised I needed to get out because there was smoke everywhere,” the 32-year-old said.

“I needed to get Lola out instantly. I looked for her cat carrier and lifted the bed up, but I couldn’t find it, so I grabbed her harness, my phone and wallet.

“All while doing that I called the kitchen manager who was living next door, and then I called the fire brigade straight after.”

Ben notes that only six and a half minutes after calling, firefighters had arrived and began tackling the blaze.

READ MORE: Toby Carvery 'hopes to reopen' after Bishopstoke fire - as it happened

He was not injured by the fire that took six engines, an aerial ladder platform, four main jets and two hose reels to put out.

The B3037 was temporarily closed and the blaze was not entirely extinguished until 1pm in the afternoon.

Residents were urged to keep windows and doors closed due to smoke.

“It’s not a situation you’d ever expected yourself to be in,” Ben admitted.

“It’s quite frightening waking up and realising you’re in danger.

“I’ve been in places where a fire alarm has gone off before, but you know there’s no immediate danger. But this time, I immediately knew I had to get out.”

It took six engines, an aerial ladder platform, four main jets and two hose reels to put out the fire. (Image: Hampshire Fire) Ben said during past fire alarms, he has always had time to look around and figure out what he could grab.

But this time, with the smoke thick in his lungs and the room in darkness, he had no hesitation.

Ben said: “All I thought about was Lola. I disregarded everything else, I thought it’s not worth it. I just wanted to get Lola and myself out.”

A fundraiser has now been set up by other workers at the Toby Carvery restaurant to help the shift supervisor fund replacement belongings.

The GoFundMe page says: “After three and a half hours of the Eastleigh Fire Department tackling the blaze, the building that was not only his place of work but the place he called home was unrecognisable.

“Due to the fire, the roof collapsing and the water damage, Ben lost all of his life’s belongings, surviving with just his beloved Lola, phone, wallet and the clothes on his back.

“The funds raised will be used to help Ben restart and begin to build his life again from the ground up, to support him in any means possible.”

Ben's cat Lola, who he made sure he grabbed first when escaping the burning building. (Image: Ben Phillips) Ben said that he has been ‘flabbergasted’ with the support people have shown and that it has been ‘really heart-warming’ to have the community rally around him.

“One of my colleagues set it up for me and told me about it,” he said, talking about the fundraiser.

Ben explained that he will use the majority of the money to pay for replacement furniture, kitchen appliances, electronics and clothes.

He said once he moves into new accommodation, he will have to buy new sets of kitchen tools, which he said ‘cost more’ than he realised.

But with the remaining money, the 32-year-old said he will put it towards an already-planned trip to Cyprus to meet his future niece or nephew, which he feared he may have to cancel.

READ MORE: Fire breaks out at Toby Carvery restaurant in Bishopstoke

“I don’t know yet if it will be a niece or a nephew, but that trip to Cyprus was something I was certain I was going to have to miss out on,” he explained.

“I really want to be there for my family and hopefully I’ll still be able to be there.”

Though the cause of the fire remains unknown, it is not deemed to be suspicious.

Nick Eaden, who lives in the area, said: “It is shocking, it looks like the fire really took hold.

“It must be a grade listed building, it’s a real shame to see it like this. Hopefully the company is in a position where they can repair it.”

READ MORE: Toby Carvery fire causes roof to cave in as blaze takes hold

Speaking to the Echo, another resident said that the destruction of the building felt like a piece of their childhood had been destroyed.

She said: “I could see blue flashing lights at around 4am this morning – I’ve never seen so many flashing lights.

"I've not known anything quite like it, it feels like a part of your childhood is gone. It used to be a doctor's surgery many years ago before it became a pub.”

Incident Commander at Hampshire Fire Service, Mark Caplen, said: “Crews worked tirelessly and efficiently to contain the blaze, which had spread to the building’s roof and first floor.”

Damage done to the Toby Carvery restaurant in Bishopstoke. (Image: Matt Davey) In a statement, a spokesperson for Toby Carvery said they hope to reopen the beloved location soon.

They said: “We are grateful and wish to thank the emergency services who have responded to the fire at our Bishopstoke restaurant which has ensured no one was harmed or injuries occurred.  

“Once we have a clear understanding of the cause and extent of the damage we will provide further updates on the timeline for the reopening of restaurant.

“In the meantime, we apologise to guests who were planning to visit us and are currently contacting them to offer alternative options at our nearest Toby Carvery in Hilsea, or at our sister restaurants which locally include Harvester, Vintage Inns and carvery at the White Swan in Mansbridge.”