STAFF at the popular Riverford Farm organic Field Kitchen restaurant outside Buckfastleigh have been praised by fire chiefs for their textbook response to a kitchen blaze over the weekend.

Three fire crews dealt with the incident after a large pan of heated butter ignited on a gas oven hob at the Wash Barn Bungalow premises just after 5pm on Saturday.

The kitchen team had been preparing for 60 bookings, including a 40th birthday party, when the drama took off well before opening time.

A fire blanket was used to smother the flames while the power supply was isolated and the brigade called.

A member of staff was despatched to the entrance to the site to ensure firefighters went directly to the evacuated scene.

A spokesman for the service said afterwards: ‘The staff did a brilliant job. This was absolutely the right response to such an emergency. It was very impressive.’

The fire was confined to the oven. No others parts of the kitchen were affected.

Crews from Ashburton, Bovey Tracey and Paignton responded to the 999 call at 5.06pm.

Two sets of breathing gear were worn in the smoke-filled kitchen as firefighters aimed a hosereel jet and covering jet at the offending pan which was taken outside for safety.

A thermal imaging camera, small tools and positive pressure ventilation fan were also used to tackle the incident.

Officer-in-charge Don Distin said: ‘Staff did all the right things. They were fantastic. The situation could have been a lot worse if their responses had not been as effective and efficient as they were.’

Field Kitchen spokeswoman Henrietta Field said afterwards that none of evening’s bookings was affected by the oven accident.

‘We still managed to serve everybody a meal they enjoyed,’ she said, adding that the out-of-action oven was being checked and tested later today.