Pie Factory Syndicate Win Major EuroMillions Jackpot For The Second Time
The 25 Pie Factory workers who won a £303,465 EuroMillions jackpot.
A syndicate of workers from a pie factory in Market Drayton, UK, have just dished up the 'pie-fect' meal after winning a major EuroMillions prize for the second time.
Five of the current syndicate were also members of the November 2006 EuroMillions winning group.
Nearly 10 years later this 25-strong syndicate has won £303,465.20 from last Friday's draw on 29 January, 2016.
The winning Lucky Dip ticket was bought from Morrisons in Market Drayton, just a few hundred yards away from the factory gates.
Back in November 2006, a 33-strong syndicate from the factory won £6,750,278.40 - £204,553.89 each - from a Lucky Dip ticket bought at One Stop, Shrewsbury Road, Market Drayton.
Fast forward to 2016 and five members of the original winning syndicate are part of a new syndicate that is based in the same department as the lucky 2006 winners.
The winning numbers were 1, 5, 23, 29, 32 and the Lucky Stars were 1 and 7.
The new winning syndicate are a mixture of factory operatives, supervisors and managers in the Make 3 department who make pies at the Palethorpe factory.
Each member is now looking forward to tucking into their slice of the win worth £12,138.60.
Winners Darren Wrench and John Bailey show off the winning check at the factory.
Syndicate leader Mary Viggers (60) was one of the original five winners. She said: "I feel very lucky! I can't believe that lightning has struck twice. Some of the same members, the same department, the same room even…it's just unbelievable."
Mary was at home when she found out about the win. She said: "I was watching the TV on the sofa and decided to check the numbers that were bought just a few hours earlier. I counted 1,2,3,4,5 and closed my eyes wondering if a Lucky Star or two would appear."
"Then one of them did and I couldn't believe it. I showed my husband Peter, who as usual was nice and calm, and then I called two of the other syndicate members to ask them to check the tickets because they have copies."
The winning factory syndicate celebrate their EuroMillions win with champagne.
Within 10 minutes, fellow syndicate member and shift manager Gary Parton popped in to the Viggers' house to confirm the numbers. Mary doesn't have a mobile so couldn't text the other members so Gary and another colleague, Tiffany Hughes, started the job of telling the rest of the group.
Mary then put the winning ticket behind the clock on the mantel piece for safe keeping.
Word spread across the factory that Shift B had won for a second time, and when Mary and her colleagues went back to work people wanted to touch them to see if the luck would rub off on them!
Mary said: "I can't believe it's the same department, room…everything! What are the chances of that? We are the talk of the factory and now the town. People want to touch me, rub my shoulder…it's just like last time."
The syndicate are now looking forward to spending their winnings. The shopping list includes driving lessons, cars, a deposit on a house and three-piece suite! The group haven't had time to organise a celebration but will do when they next have a day off.