Manchester-based brewer Joseph Holt, which owns pubs across the North-West, is offering customers award-winning pies after joining forces with HM Pasties: a company set up by ex-prisoner Lee Wakeham (pictured) to give people with convictions a second chance.

The brewer has a strong association with offering ex-offenders a fresh start through its apprenticeships, in-prison careers talks and charities such as Only A Pavement Away which is a dedicated job board that works with people in prisons, veterans and homeless charities in gaining people employment.

So when an award-winning food company run by ex-offenders came to the attention of the brewery, a collaboration seemed an obvious move. Lee has had two spells in prison. At 17 he served nine months of an 18-month sentence for street robberies, then in 1997 served 18 months of a three-year sentence for wounding with intent.

He says therapy in prison made him determined to turn his life around and, after being released, worked his way up from a job as a factory worker to becoming a sales manager. After a successful career in sales and recruitment, he began working with offenders in 2011 as a resettlement worker and an employment coach. He opened HM Pasties in 2019.

The collaboration has already resulted in products which recently won big at the 2023 British Pie Awards, netting gold medals in the Pub Pie category with a steak and ale creation made with Joseph Holt bitter and a creamy Lancashire cheddar and mozzarella, onion, and potato pie.

Brewery director Jane Kershaw said the joint venture appealed on so many levels.

“Obviously we were aware that Lee and his team were producing high-quality pies and pasties. But as a company we also felt their values were very much aligned with our own. HM Pasties is an amazing social enterprise and we are delighted to support a business that, like us, gives people a second chance.

“It`s a way of supporting the local community – and of course, being local means we are reducing food miles since they source local, quality ingredients. And it’s great to see our bitter used in a pie.

“As a company we already strive to give people a second chance. Our mission statement is ‘come for a job, stay for a career’. We go into prisons for employment days offering advice about joining us in hospitality.

“We also have apprenticeship schemes and work with charities to help people rebuild their lives after they have been in prison so HM Pasties was a perfect fit.”