Covid: Dovercourt's 'inspirational Flo', 89, defies age to make pies

Flo Osborne makes every pie by hand from scratch

An 89-year-old woman who has made more than 100 pies for the elderly and vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic has become a social media hit.

Flo Osborne has been making the savoury and sweet pies from scratch in her tiny kitchen in Dovercourt for the North Essex Support Team (Nest).

Her "act of community kindness" was posted on Facebook and has been shared more than 48,000 times.

Ms Osborne's son Graham said he was "so proud" of her.

Nest said the pies were distributed among the vulnerable and elderly in the Harwich area as part of its hot meals service.

On Monday, Ms Osborne had made six large pies at 05:00 BST to feed 50 people.

The pies are for the elderly and vulnerable

Les Nicoll, from the charity, said on Facebook: "Every pie is made from scratch, the pastry mixed and rolled, the fruit prepared and then cooked in her tiny oven.

"This is I believe a remarkable act of community kindness, also a huge victory over age and supposed infirmity."

Modest Ms Osborne, however, said "it's not difficult when you're used to it".

She said she was taught to make pies by her grandmother and had been making them by hand all her life.

'Wonderful lady'

Her son said: "I've been brought up on her pies. To watch her make them is unreal, she sticks in lard, marg, flour in bowls, mixes it all up, cold water, bangs it out and they're done and they're perfect."

He said the attention his mum had attracted on social media was "amazing".

"My cousin in Australia has been messaging me saying it's all over there," he added.

There have been more than 9,000 comments on Mr Nicoll's post praising Ms Osborne, including ones that read "what a wonderful lady", "you're one in a million", "you are inspirational Flo" and "absolutely incredible".

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