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