The quest to find the World’s Fastest Crimper has taken a step forward with the selection of four finalists from a strong field of twelve.
Certified bakers of genuine Cornish pasties can put forward a maximum of two crimpers for the competition, which is a new feature within Cornish Pasty Week this year.
In the heats, held at Heartlands, the crimpers competed against the clock to see how many Cornish pasties they could crimp in three minutes. But it wasn’t only about the speed. To be counted towards the total, every pasty had to have a minimum of 18 crimps and a nice neat tuck to finish.
Chief adjudicator, Dave Meneer, who is also Head Judge at the World Pasty Championships, had a tough job on his hands deciding on the four finalists. “With astonishing performances all round, it was a very close contest,” he said. “Most competitors managed to crimp between 5 and 7 pasties a minute despite being out of their normal surroundings. There were a few shaky hands too as the tension mounted. In the end it all came down to the number of crimps, with two or three contestants narrowly missing out.”
The finalists, who will battle it out for the title on stage at the World Pasty Championships at the Eden Project on Saturday, are:
Sophie Rogers representing Cornish Premier Pasties
Gregorz Zola representing Proper Cornish
Monika Gutowska and Ingrida Sauguniene representing Rowes.
Take a look at some crimping from the competition here.