UPDATE: Post Road Trading approved hours before scheduled Board of Health review
By Christopher Kelleher
BROOKFIELD — After a months-long permitting process involving shifting requirements, multiple applications, and repeated requests for clarification, a Brookfield business has been approved to sell prepackaged food—with the approval issued just hours before a scheduled public meeting on the matter.
Bonnie Toomey, owner of Post Road Trading, had initially sought to expand her shop’s offerings by selling baked goods and coffee. According to Toomey, that plan required her to complete a food safety certification course and apply for permitting through the Leicester Regional Public Health Coalition, which provides public health services for Brookfield.
Only after completing those steps, she said, was she informed that her proposed operation would require additional infrastructure—including a three-compartment sink and dedicated handwashing station—requirements she said were not feasible in her retail space.
She then shifted to a more limited plan: selling only prepackaged, commercially produced items such as sealed jellies and jams. Even that, she said, involved additional requirements, including a detailed plan review application, submission of a floor plan, and questions over whether an allergen permit would be required.
Despite submitting the requested materials and fees, Toomey had not received approval and was scheduled to appear before the Brookfield Board of Health on April 29.
However, according to updated information, the permit for prepackaged food sales was issued by the Leicester Regional Public Health Coalition shortly before the meeting, resolving the central issue in advance.
Toomey still attended the meeting and addressed the Board, raising a separate question about whether she could offer coffee using a Keurig-style machine, which she said does not involve plumbing or equipment typically associated with food preparation. Board members said they would review the issue but did not make a determination.
The approval follows a process Toomey described as difficult to navigate, citing inconsistent guidance and delays.
As of publication, the Leicester Regional Public Health Coalition did not respond to requests for comment.