Blind Royal Navy Veteran Wins International Prize

British Royal Navy Veteran Penny Melville-Brown is not your average chef. She is in fact blind.

Penny Joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service in 1977 after completing her university degree and post-graduate qualification. She was commissioned Third Officer and posted to NATO Naval HQ in Naples and Italy, undertaking intelligence roles.

Furthermore, Penny continued training to become the first woman naval barista and was promoted to Lieutenant Commander en-route. It didn’t stop there.

After taking on her legal roles, her eyesight deteriorated and pushed through a period of ill-health and achieved the promotion to commander. In 1999, Penny was medically discharged, but had been using her white cane prior to leaving the Navy.

Penny kick-started a project called Baking Blind. Listen to the report by BFBS Salisbury Plain’s Adam Powney, in Fareham.

Both the Baking Blind website and YouTube channel are home to Penny’s videos. Penny said

 “I’m a straightforward home cook, so there are lots of short videos and dishes”

These videos really hit home and Penny tries to explain how touch, taste, smell and sound work together so that blindness doesn’t get in the way.

Here is one of her YouTube videos:

Not only has Penny achieved this incredible prize and gone above and beyond expectation, she has been helping to celebrate the WRNS Centenary. Penny has contributed storied of her service career to a book, about the history of women in the Royal Navy.

Penny would like you to get in contact to share stories and recipes and you can do so, by:

Email: [email protected] 

Website: www.bakingblind.com 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVVwg6CV0_w