Around 150 entries battled it out at this year’s World Pasty Championships on Saturday, 1st March, when 8 different awards were up for grabs.
It was a fantastic Cornish showcase – the county’s iconic food in one of the county’s iconic settings – and a good helping of spring sunshine made the day full of pasties, music and entertainment, even more enjoyable.
The Cornish family (yes, real name!) from Callington triumphed for the third year running with 12 year old Simon winning the Junior Cornish Pasty category, matching wins for his older brother and father in previous years. Talking about his win, Simon said, “It feels quite special to win this trophy after my dad and brother also won them. I practised making pasties more for this year’s competition and it paid off.”
Also recognised in the awards ceremony was Elaine Ead of the Chough Bakery in Padstow, who won the special Pasty Ambassador trophy. Elaine has been a tireless champion of the humble oggy, having been involved in the World Pasty Championships since their inception and in her role of chair of the Cornish Pasty Association.
Elaine said: “It’s such an honour and such a shock to be named Pasty Ambassador. I’ve really enjoyed my career in baking, it’s been absolutely wonderful, and to have this in the final six or seven months of my career is a great honour. I’d like thank the Eden Project so much for this award. I’ll definitely be back next year for the bigger and better World Pasty Championships!”
The most hotly contested categories are undoubtedly those relating to the genuine Cornish pasty. In order to qualify, Cornish pasties must be made in Cornwall and this has led to keen amateur bakers from all over the UK and beyond travelling to the county to enter. This year’s champion, Terry O’Connor, originally from the Lizard but currently living in Watford, stayed in Lostwithiel overnight to ensure his pasty qualified.
The winner in the commercial Cornish pasty category was the West Cornwall Pasty Co, whose pasties are made by W. C. Rowe of Falmouth. It was a highly successful day for W. C. Rowe, whose development chefs David Timmins and Nik Brown also won both the professional categories. David’s Cornish pasty and Nik’s Cornish Steak and Doom Bar Ale pasty wowed the judges.
The winner in the open commercial category was The Shop @ Shop Ltd with a salmon, hake, pollock and monkfish pasty.
During a day crammed full of entertainment and activities for visitors to get involved with, visitors to the Championships were also introduced to Eden’s new ‘Extraordinary’ pasty range, devised by TV presenter James Strawbridge and produced by Crantock Bakery. James, who has recently turned his hand to pasty-making, runs the Posh Pasty Co. James and his father Dick hosted much of the day’s entertainment, including their own ‘crimp-off’.
Many congratulations to all winners, professional and amateur, young and old. We hope you’ll be back next year. Signing up for Eden’s enewsletters to keep you in the loop [link: http://www.edenproject.com/e-newsletter]
The full list of winners is:
Cornish Pasty Amateur
Winner – Terry O’Connor from Watford
Second – Jon Lovejoy from Plymouth
Third – Vanessa Farr from Bristol
Cornish Pasty Professional
Winner – David Timmins from Bugle near St. Austell, Cornwall
Second – Jason Robbins from St. Just near Penzance, Cornwall
Third – Ryan Smedley from Padstow, Cornwall
Cornish Pasty Company
Winner – West Cornwall Pasty Co.
Second – Simply Cornish
Third – Proper Cornish
Cornish Pasty Junior
Winner – Simon Cornish, aged 12, from Launceston, Cornwall
Second – Michael Webb, aged 14, from Helston, Cornwall
Third – Alice Avery, aged 12, from Pentewan, Cornwall
Open Savoury Amateur
Winner – Don McKeever from Bristol with chicken and chorizo
Second – Jon Lovejoy from Plymouth with cheese, chorizo and chilli
Third – Terry O’Connor from Watford with bacon, egg and tomato
Open Savoury Professional
Winner – Nik Brown from Liskeard, Cornwall with Cornish steak and Doom Bar ale
Second – Andy Heath from Bodmin, Cornwall with Cornish Yarg and onion in a vintage Davidstow cheese sauce
Third – Gemma Hearn from Bodmin, Cornwall with a Bahn Mi spicy meatball and sweet chilli sauce pasty
Open Savoury Company
Winner – The Shop @ Shop Ltd with a salmon, hake, pollock and monkfish pasty
Second – Prima Bakeries Ltd. with a peppered steak pasty
Third – Cornish Premier Pasties with a red Thai chicken curry pasty
Open Savoury Junior
Winner – Daniel Beddoes, aged 12, from Bristol with a chicken fajita pasty
Second – Rhys Heath from Bodmin, Cornwall with a savoury mixture
Third – Robbie Mowbray, aged 10, from Padstow, Cornwall with haggis, neaps and tatties