* From left, Mandy Roberts, Tom Breeze and Kerry Wilson of Village Bakery with Sarah Povey Corporate Partnership Lead for Nightingale House Hospice. Picture by Mandy Jones.
Big-hearted bakers are bringing some early festive cheer to a much-loved hospice with the delivery of a mountain of mince pies.
Long-term supporter Jones Village Bakery is giving 1,000 of the tasty Yule Tide treats to Nightingale House which provides vital services for people with life-limiting illnesses in Llangollen and across Wrexham, Flintshire, east Denbighshire and the Shropshire border towns.
The company is ramping up production at its bakery in Minera to meet soaring demand for the traditional favourites in the run up to Christmas.
The man in charge of “Operation Mincemeat” is pie room manager Kerry Wilson who has a personal reason for wanting to help the hospice.
Kerry said: “I am very pleased we’re supporting the hospice because a number of my family have been in Nightingale House, so it means a heck of a lot.
“My uncle Gareth Williams was diagnosed with throat cancer. He was at home for a long time and in the end it got too much and he went to the hospice, and he didn’t come home sadly.
“It was a very emotional time for the family but it’s a fantastic place, a really fantastic place and the care they provide is absolutely second to none.
“Nightingale House is wonderful because it’s not just the patient who is given support but the whole family. They do a really important job to help people during the most difficult time in their lives.”
It’s also a cause that’s close to the heart of production worker Mandy Roberts who’s part of the team making the mince pies from a secret Village Bakery recipe that was developed and perfected more than 30 years ago.
Mandy said: “My six year old granddaughter, Indie, was chosen to lead the hospice’s recent lantern parade with Father Christmas and raised £600 in sponsorship.
“She recently lost her Taid who died suddenly at the age of 62 and she’s been having support from Jackie at the hospice - they have been wonderful with her, really marvellous.”
According to Sarah Povey, the Corporate Partnerships Lead at Nightingale House, the donation of the mince pies was “incredibly generous”.
She said: “We’re very, very grateful to the Village Bakery. They’ve been a wonderful supporter over the years, whether it’s the Welsh Cakes they’ve given for the Midnight Walk or their brilliant sausage rolls.
“And I must say the mince pies are pretty special. They’re lovely and buttery and delicious and the team were absolutely thrilled when they heard that we had this opportunity.”
Sarah added: “It’s costs just under £5 million to run the hospice every year with just 18 per cent coming from statutory funding, so it’s down to our wonderful corporate supporters and our incredible community to keep the hospice’s doors open.”
Village Bakery CEO Robin Jones got his first taste of working in the bakery, putting the lids on the mince pies when he started helping out as a teenager.
Robin said: “We haven’t changed the recipe since then. It’s one thing that’s held steady throughout our history, the good old Village Bakery mince pie.
“They haven’t got all the fancy alcoholic fillings or whatever but they’re a blooming good, traditional mince pie with perfect pastry and we’re proud to make them and we’re proud to be able to get behind the hospice.
“We are incredibly lucky to have Nightingale House on our doorstep in Wrexham. What they do for the local community is fantastic, they go above and beyond.
“The idea to donate the mince pies came from a member of staff and I just think it’s brilliant.
“Everybody in the Wrexham area knows somebody who has used the services of Nightingale House and I think it’s close to everybody’s heart, so we’re delighted to be able to spread a bit of Christmas joy.”
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