Cornish Pasty Week ended in style yesterday with the Eden Project’s World Pasty Championships proving every bit why it’s billed as the grand finale to our week of celebration.
The place was abuzz from the off with pastymakers of all ages and from near and far lining up to enter their pasties into the competition. A packed programme of entertainment headlined by the Fisherman’s Friends kept the mood high while, between them, 40 judges working in pairs carefully scrutinised every entry against strict scoring criteria.
One of the highlights for us is the chance we get to teach our art to the next generation. Every year at the championships, children line up to have a go at making their very own pasty. Very little in our calendar beats seeing the pride and delight on the faces of the youngsters and they tuck into the fruits of their labours – straight from a paper bag of course.
For most of them it’s the first time they will have encountered the process. For us it’s an important part of what the Association is all about – sharing the love and heritage of the Cornish pasty and ensuring its place in Cornwall’s culture continues.
A first in the Championships was the final of a new competition to find the World’s Fastest Crimper. Devised by us as part of Cornish Pasty Week, the title was claimed by Ingrida Sauguniene of Rowe’s, crimping an astonishing 13 pasties in just 2 minutes while the audience looked on in awe. Congratulations to Ingrida and Rowes!
It was a great day for Rowes all round as they also scooped the coveted title of Cornish Pasty Company champions this year, while 9 year old Amy Meredith, whose dad works at Rowes (but not as a pastymaker) won in the Open Savoury Junior category, having been placed twice before.
The open categories (where anything goes) always generate huge excitement, and yesterday was no different. Displaying how far the love of the pasty has travelled beyond the Tamar, winners came from Kent, Bristol and, for the second year running, Virginia, USA.
The Cornish Pasty Amateur category was won by Billy Deakin of Redruth. A veteran of the Championships, Billy won the title the first two years running, but hadn’t entered for the last few years. This year his four year old son decided he wanted to have a go at following in his dad’s footsteps, so Billy thought he might as well enter as well – and proved he hasn’t lost his touch.
The final award is always the highly cherished honour of Cornish Pasty Ambassador, chosen by the team at the Eden Project. This year we were delighted that our Chairman Jason Jobling received the award for his dedication to the industry – truly well deserved.
All the winners and finalists:
Cornish Pasty Company
First – Rowe’s Cornish Bakers
Second – Cornish Bakehouse
Third – Prima Bakeries
Open Savoury Company
First – Pure Pasty Co. with a turkey and cranberry pasty
Second – West Cornwall Pasty Co. with a chicken Thai red curry pasty
Third – Friary Mill with a vegan curry pasty
Cornish Pasty Professional
First – Jack Edensor from Bodmin
Second – Damian Grochowalski from Bodmin
Third – Paula Heath from Bodmin
Open Savoury Professional
First – Jill Martin from Deal in Kent with an egg, bacon and sausage pasty
Second – Paula Heath from Bodmin with a smoked ham ploughman’s pasty
Third – Jill Martin from Deal in Kent with a cheese, apple and onion pasty
Cornish Pasty Amateur
First – Billy Deakin from Redruth
Second – Vanessa Farr from Bristol
Third – Rhys Heath from Bodmin
Open Savoury Amateur
First – Don McKeever from Bristol with a butter chicken, butternut squash and mushroom pasty
Second – Jon Lovejoy from Plymouth with a spaghetti bolognese pasty.
Third – Katy Biddle from Portskewett, Monmouthshire, Wales with a Welsh lamb curry pasty
Cornish Pasty Junior
First – Summer Lovejoy, 10, from Plymouth
Second – Millie Piotrowicz, 9, from Portreath
Third – Jodie Health, 13, from Bodmin
Open Savoury Junior
First – Amy Meredith, 9, from Porthleven with a chilli beef pasty
Second – Jodie Heath, 13, from Bodmin with a sweet and sour chicken pasty
Third – Imogen Hawkins, 10, from Truro with a chicken, onion, carrot and pea pasty
World’s Fastest Crimper
First – Ingrida Sauguniene, Rowes
Other finalists:
Gregorz Zola, Proper Cornish
Monika Gutowska, Rowes
Sophie Rogers, Cornish Premier
Pasty Ambassador
Jason Jobling, Chair of Cornish Pasty Association