Cornish Pasty Week came to a close on Saturday 29th February with an eclectic mix of pasties and music headlined by Celtic folk-punk giants Black Friday topping the bill at the World Pasty Championships held at the Eden Project.
Nearly 200 pasties, including entries from the USA and Canada, were evaluated by a team of over 40 judges.
A decorated amateur baker from Bristol took one of the top prizes for her Cornish pasty. Vanessa Farr, who won in the prestigious Cornish Pasty Amateur category, is part of a dedicated group of friends from the city who have been attending the competition since the first one in 2012.
She previously won the category at the championships in 2017 and bagged third place in 2013 and 2014 and second place last year.
Vanessa bakes her competition pasties in Padstow, Cornwall, to ensure they can be defined as Cornish. She said, “I think Cornish pasties are the only pasties. This is our annual pilgrimage – we love it.”
Daisy Lovejoy, eight, from Plymouth won prizes in both junior categories. She was victorious in the Cornish Pasty Junior class and came third in the Open Savoury Junior section with a pasty filled with lasagne.
Daisy is the latest in a fine Plymothian pasty lineage, with her elder sister Summer a previous champion and her dad Jon boasting a staggering five second place awards to his name.
Daisy said: “It feels good to be a world champion and to beat my sister! My favourite thing to put in a pasty is lasagne.”
Jodie Heath, 14, from Bodmin added to her impressive tally of five top-three finishes at the World Pasty Championships with a victory in the Open Savoury Junior category with a sweet and sour chicken pasty, her second win.
Another big winner was amateur baker Jan Micallef from Sheffield who took top honours in the Open Savoury Amateur class with a goat’s cheese, pear and walnut pasty.
Clutching her trophy, Jan, who came to the Championships with husband Paul and mother Pam, said: “To win is absolutely fantastic. I’m really excited. This is going to be my Facebook picture now. We will celebrate. I’m going to have a wonderful pint of your Proper Job ale.”
David Timmins from St Columb Road claimed his third World Pasty Championships title with the Cornish Pasty Professional gong while Nick Brown from Liskeard claimed his second with the Open Savoury Professional for his ham hock, cheddar and apple chutney pasty.
Rowe’s Cornish Bakers had a strong showing following their Cornish Pasty Company win last year. They were victorious in the Open Savoury Company category with their chicken, leek, potato and onion pasty.
The Phat Pasty Co. based in Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire won the coveted Cornish Pasty Company category. Their Cornish pasties are all made to their recipe in Cornwall by a certified Cornish pasty maker.
Dave Meneer has been the head judge of the World Pasty Championships every year since the beginning and was given the coveted Pasty Ambassador award for his outstanding contribution to the competition.
The award sponsors are St Austell Brewery, leading millers Heygates, Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, the Craft Bakers’ Association and Carters Packaging.
The full list of winners is:
Cornish Pasty Company
First – The Phat Pasty Co.
Second – Cornish Premier Pasties (hand-layered gourmet)
Third – Cornish Premier Pasties (mixed gourmet)
Open Savoury Company
First – Rowe’s Cornish Bakery with a chicken, leek, potato and onion pasty
Second – The Pure Pasty Co. with a lamb jalfrezi pasty
Third – The Pure Pasty Co. with a cheese and onion pasty
Cornish Pasty Professional
First – David Timmins from St Columb Road, Cornwall
Second – David Collings from Fowey, Cornwall
Third – Phil Price from Bodmin, Cornwall
Open Savoury Professional
First – Nick Brown from Liskeard, Cornwall with a ham hock, cheddar and apple chutney pasty
Second – Jack Edensor from Bodmin, Cornwall with a garlic chicken and wild mushroom pasty
Third – Jill Martin from Deal, Kent with a lentil, tomato, ginger, celery and mushroom pasty
Cornish Pasty Amateur
First – Vanessa Farr from Bristol
Second – Terry O’Connor from County Longford, Ireland
Third – Emma Pugsley from London
Open Savoury Amateur
First – Jan Micallef from Sheffield with a goat’s cheese, pear, shallot and walnut pasty
Second – Lois Wild from Truro with a black olive, cheese and sweet red pepper pasty
Third – Steve Foreman from Bristol with a venison, port and wild mushroom pasty
Cornish Pasty Junior
First – Daisy Lovejoy, aged eight, from Plymouth
Second – Arran Kerr, eight, from Callington, Cornwall
Third – Izaac Rogers, 10, from Newquay, Cornwall
Open Savoury Junior
Frist – Jodie Heath, 14, from Bodmin, Cornwall with a sweet and sour chicken pasty
Second – Amy Meredith, 10, from Porthleven, Cornwall with a chilli sausage ragu pasty
Third – Daisy Lovejoy, eight, from Plymouth with a lasagne pasty.
More images of the day, and from the rest of Cornish Pasty Week, can be found here.
