The Green Pig rebuilds, 2 years after fire tore through popular Salisbury market

The Green Pig Country Market in Salisbury is ready to open its new space on Friday, and it's double the size of the previous building that was destroyed by fire two years ago.

Co-owner Dawn Beckwith calls the big day a soft opening, as some construction is still underway in the bakery and café, but said it will be very nice to be back inside after operating outdoors in all kinds of weather.

"It's been two years in the making," Beckwith said. "Lots of stress, lots of difficulties, but we're finally ready to move into it."

The Green Pig employs about 55 people at the height of the season, she said, including students and other seasonal workers.

Salisbury Fire Rescue said crews from Petitcodiac, Havelock, Elgin, Moncton and Riverview helped fight the blaze at the Green Pig the night it burned. (Salisbury Fire Rescue/Facebook)

Beckwith said they were only shut down for two weeks after the blaze, before setting up a tent in the parking lot and eventually moving to a small shed that the family nicknamed the fruit stand.

The fire, which started on the evening of Sept. 19, 2022, "was definitely devastating," Beckwith said,

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Fire officials said at the time the fire began between a new addition at the back of the building and the building itself, and the wind blew flames into the store, which also caught fire.

It was a loss for the community as well as for the owners, especially given its history.

The name comes from Beckwith's great-great-aunt Daisy, who sold pies to train conductors from her green-painted store in Salisbury.

Co-owner Dawn Beckwith says there was an outpouring of support from the community following the fire and the same support is there this summer as the new place goes up. (Chad Ingraham/CBC)

"Daisy was very famous for her pies. The conductors, who were always quite fat, were nicknamed the pigs. And so over time they nicknamed her shop the Green Pig," Beckwith said. Her aunt was close to 100 years of age when the market first opened.  

"She was really, really special to us in this family … and we asked her, 'Do you mind if we named this after your shop?' And she was super honoured."

There were hardships during the reconstruction, including the fact that the insurance for the old building did not cover the cost of rebuilding, so they took money from the family beef farm to make it work, Beckwith said. But there was never a doubt the market would continue.

She said an outpouring of support from the community was there on the days and weeks following the fire, and the same support is there this summer as the new place goes up.

"The community has been great."

The fire at the Green Pig Country Market started at a new addition in the back and spread to the front of the store, according to fire officials at the time. (The Green Pig Country Market/Facebook)

The business has been "weather dependent" while waiting for construction to finish but she said they are "still seeing the same faces."

One of those faces is long-time customer Jessica Gray, who said she will be most excited for the fresh baked goods in the new bakery.

"I love coming to get local stuff instead of getting stuff from the grocery store," Gray said, adding that she drives in from Riverview to shop at the Green Pig. "Everything is so fresh."

Future plans  

As the leaves change and the weather gets cooler, Beckwith said now that the storefront is ready to go, other fall activities are also set to return, such as the popular corn maze on Sept. 14.

Jessica Gray has been coming to the Green Pig Market for years and says she was sad to hear of the fire two years ago and missed the baked goods the most. (Chad Ingraham/CBC)

The Sunflowers Festival will not return until next year, in 2025, and the new bakery is set to open in the new year, as well.

"It's taken sacrifices to help keep the Green Pig going, it's been a struggle," Beckwith said. "We weren't sure we were going to get out of this. But you know the light is there now and things are looking up."