Minor damage after fire at Hudson’s Willow Inn

A dulcet spring at the Willow Inn in Hudson was briefly interrupted when a fire broke out in a ventilation duct, March 29.

Willow Inn spokesperson Vanessa Ades said it was caused by a defective ventilation coil. The fire broke out in the basement at around 10:30 p.m. There was smoke and the firefighters had to break the wall in order to tear out a ventilation unit, but Ades said the damage was contained to that wall and that portion of the ventilation system.

There were no guests in the restaurant at the time. Staff were shutting things down for the night. Everyone was evacuated safely.

It’s not the first time the inn has been threatened by fire. The original Willow Inn, built in 1820, burned down in 1989. The new inn was built to resemble the original building.

The inn shut down in late 2016 and was sold to Patricia Wenzel and David Ades. Last year, they launched a massive renovation which saw a complete overhaul of the pub, dining room, two basement kitchens, the reception hall and the inn’s nine rooms on the second floor. Hudson-born-andraised chef Shaun Hughes was brought in to create an elevated menu inspired by British pub cuisine. Hughes has worked at top restaurants in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal (Joe Beef ).

The Willow Inn is open for business. Ades said the second-floor rooms are expected to be ready in around one month.

For more information about the Willow Inn, visit www.aubergewillowinn.com.