World pasty championships

Each year, pasty-makers take part in a unique event to find the pasty champions of the world.

Professionals, amateurs, the young and the not so young come together in a day of music and fun where Cornwall’s hero product is the unquestionable hero of the day.

Created by and hosted at the Eden Project, the World Pasty Championships take place on the Saturday prior to St Piran’s Day and make a fitting grand finale to our own Cornish Pasty Week.

The titles are fiercely battled and each year brings a few surprises.  To compete in the Cornish pasty categories, all pasties have to be made in accordance with the PGI specification, including being made in Cornwall of course.  However, each category also has an ‘open’  equivalent, where anything goes – and every year anything generally does go. Past championships have included all sorts of weird and wonderful creations,  including road kill and insects!

The Cornish Pasty Association works closely with the Eden Project to make sure the day runs smoothly.  You will find us there every year, helping queues of youngsters learn how to make and crimp a genuine Cornish pasty.

We also help to ensure the judging process is rigorous and fair, although to ensure absolute neutrality none of our members are directly involved in the judging itself.   

The next World Pasty Championships take place in March 2021.  Watch this space for updates.  

Take part in the competition

Entries open towards the end of the year.

Championship categories

The  categories are split into two sections: Cornish pasties (made in Cornwall following a traditional recipe) and open savoury categories for pasties with creative fillings or pasties from outside Cornwall.

Sub-categories

Entrants can make either a Cornish pasty or a savoury pasty in the following sub-categories:

• Company: For pasties from companies (bakeries, butchers, pubs, corner shops etc) that are certified producers of genuine Cornish pasties.  These must be standard production pasties that are sold by the company entering.
• Professional: Those who work in the catering industry as a professional baker or cook, who are entering their own pasty recipe in their own name.  This MUST NOT be a commercial pasty that is on sale anywhere and must be registered in person on the day by the entrant.
• Amateur: People aged 16 and over on the date of the competition who do not work in the catering industry as a professional baker or cook.
• Junior: People aged 15 and under on the date of the competition.