How a woman accused of stealing by the Post Office launched a successful pie business
A former sub-postmistress who was accused of stealing £20,000 from the Post Office has told how she rebuilt her life and career by turning to baking.
Penny Williams was running the Post Office in Manaccan when she was accused of embezzling money in what has since become a national scandal.
The Post Office wrongly accused and convicted staff for stealing thousands of pounds, however it was later revealed an error in the Post Office IT system had been the cause.
A national public inquiry is now taking place with people wrongly accused in the scandal giving evidence.
Large numbers of those accused were sent to prison and their convictions have since been quashed by the High Court and millions of pounds in compensation claims have been made.
Penny said she was stunned when she received a call from the Post Office accusing her of stealing more than £20,000 from her small branch.
It was the start of a nightmare which saw her lose her business and be made bankrupt before she managed to rebuild her life with a now successful pie business.
She said: “When they accused us of stealing money, the whole world came crashing down, I was made bankrupt.
“It was absolutely horrible. I am a minor part in all of this, there are a lot of people who were worse off than me.
“But it was horrible, I couldn’t go outside, you know what a small village can be like.”
Many of the accused sub-postmasters and postmistresses found themselves shunned in the communities where they lived and worked.
Penny said: “We had the Post Office since 2007 but we had been running the pub since 1997. You would hope that those people who you live and work alongside would have more trust towards you and your integrity."
At the time of the accusation The Post Office and shop business closed and Penny admits: “I thought, crikey, what will I do now?”
Fortunately her experience running the kitchen in the village pub had given her skills in baking which she then thought might be a new career.
“When I was at the pub we were very busy for food and I thought I would put that to use in pie form. I made some and let friends and family try them out and they said I should sell them.”
The small pie business started in Penny’s kitchen in Manaccan before rising demand meant she moved the pie kitchen to the space previously occupied by the shop and Post Office.
She is now set to have a dedicated base for Penny’s Pies at a new site in St Keverne after being granted planning permission by Cornwall Council.
One of the keys to Penny’s success was when a friend took some of the pies to Ruth Huxley, who runs the Great Cornish Food Store in Truro.
Penny said: “It was purely by chance that a friend of mine took them and then Ruth asked for some more samples and they now stock the pies in the store.
"Ruth has been brilliant and the best customer we have. It was from there that I was able to crack on and keep going, she has just been a massive support.”
Penny’s Pies are now available in 25 different retail outlets and they also regularly sell at various markets across Cornwall as well as taking part in major festivals and events such as the Royal Cornwall Show and Stithians Show, along with the likes of Porthleven Food Festival.
And the new facility in St Keverne will allow the company to grow even more with plans to export the pies beyond Cornwall and Devon. Penny already employs three full time staff and says this will increase in future.
Penny admits: “I am a complete and utter foodie – food is a great way of bringing people together. Pasties are fantastic, but I felt there were enough people making those already so I focused on pies instead."
And Penny’s favourite pie? “A pork pie straight out of the oven is absolutely wonderful. You can’t beat it.”
Credit: Richard Whitehouse, Local Democracy Reporter