A village bistro has re-opened under new ownership three years after the landmark building threatened to come crashing down into the street.

Emergency services closed a section of Main Street in Addingham in January 2009, when the Victorian building housing The Good Food Shop bistro began to list noticeably, threatening to collapse into the road.

One demolition and complete rebuild later and a former London restaurateur has taken on the prominent building at the corner of George Street and Main Street.

Businessman and food fanatic, Andrew Frewin Wilson, of Silsden, opened new business Frewin’s Bistro this week as a local cafe during the day and restaurant in the evenings.

Coincidentally, Mr Wilson, 56, used to run a London restaurant by the name of The Good Food Shop.

“When I first saw the business it seemed like an omen,” he said.

Mr Wilson says the new bistro will reflect his personal ethos by sourcing local and Fairtrade supplies and using energy from environmentally friendly sources.

Mindful of limited local employment opportunities, he has offered apprenticeships to four local young people who will study catering and hospitality at nearby Craven College.

In January 2009 people noticed the end of the building had begun to break away from the rest of the row and the emergency services, along with demolition experts were called in.

The Good Food Shop bistro was forced to move out. The catering and delicatessen arm of the business is open further down Main Street.

Restoring the landmark meant extensive structural work, which was carried out by Ilkley builders, masons and contractors PA Whitehead.

Company boss Paul Whitehead said: “It was completely rebuilt. New foundations, new stone, everything, there was nothing really could be salvaged from the old building.”

Mr Wilson says the bistro will serve the needs of Addingham and the many people who pass through the village.