Cornish Pasty PGI
Cornish Pasty
The shape was designed to made it easy to carry (usually in a pocket) and enabled men working in tin mines to reheat them underground, as well as eat them safely. The crust (crimped edge) was used as a handle which was then discarded due to the high levels of arsenic in many of the tin mines. The pastry case insulated the contents and was durable enough to survive while its wholesome, nourishing ingredients provided enough sustenance to see the workers through their long and arduous days.
The nature of Cornwall’s climate — wet and mild — and its physical geography have made it ideally suited for both beef production and the growing of vegetables. Potatoes and swedes/turnips have long been, and still are, some of Cornwall’s main horticultural outputs. Although there is no requirement for the raw ingredients to be sourced from within Cornwall in practice much of it continues to be supplied by local farmers thus continuing the long established symbiotic relationship between Cornish farmer and Cornish baker.
Mining in Cornwall dates back many centuries, however, the industry reached a peak in the 18th and 19th centuries. The importance of the area’s mining heritage is such that although the industry is now extinct, select mining landscapes across Cornwall gained World Heritage Status in 2006.
Miners and farm workers took this portable, easy-to-eat convenience food to work with them because it was so well suited to the purpose. Its size and shape made it easy to carry (usually in a pocket), its pastry case insulated the contents and was durable enough to survive while its wholesome, nourishing ingredients provided enough sustenance to see the workers through their long and arduous days. There are many stories about the shape of the pasty, with the most popular being that the D shape enabled men working in tin mines to reheat them underground, as well as eat them safely. The crust (crimped edge) was used as a handle which was then discarded due to the high levels of arsenic in many of the tin mines.
There is a wealth of historical evidence confirming the importance of the Cornish Pasty as part of the county’s culinary heritage. The pasty became commonplace in the 16th and 17th centuries and really attained its true Cornish identity during the last 200 years.
Research has shown that the associations between the pasty and Cornwall are as strong today as 200 years ago, both inside the county and beyond. Tourists have been visiting Cornwall since the development of railway links into the county, leading to the Cornish Pasty becoming an integral part of the visitors’ experience. According to research conducted into attitudes to local foods in Cornwall, Cornish Clotted Cream (already a PDO) and the Cornish Pasty are the products most frequently tried by visitors. Tellingly, people surveyed for this research described the sort of pasties they ate when visiting the county as ‘proper pasties’, indicating the considerable difference between Cornish Pasties from Cornwall and the more generic, mass-produced variety currently allowed to bear the name. Cornish Pasties and Cornish Clotted Cream are also the products most likely to be brought by visitors to take home, either by mail order or from local outlets (source: ‘Consumer Attitudes to Cornish Produce’ Ruth Huxley 2002).
Production of the Cornish Pasty is restricted to the traditional County of Cornwall.
Origin
The Cornish Pasty holds a firm and celebrated position within the culinary heritage of Cornwall and has been written about for many centuries. The pasty became commonplace in the 16th and 17th centuries and really attained its true Cornish identity during the last 200 years.
By the end of the 18th century the Cornish Pasty had become the staple diet of working men across Cornwall, and their families too. Miners and farm workers took this portable, easy-to-eat convenience food to work with them because it was so well suited to the purpose.
Evidence of the Cornish Pasty as a traditional Cornish food is found in Worgan’s Agricultural Survey of Cornwall of 1808. References include ‘the labouring man having usually a bit of beef for his pasty’. In the 1860s records show that children employed in the mines also took pasties with them as part of their crib or croust (local dialect for snack or lunch).
By the early 20th century the Cornish Pasty was produced on a large scale throughout the County as a basic food for farm workers and miners. There are examples of Edwardian postcards dated approx 1901-1910 showing Cornish Pasties and extracts from the cookery books ‘Good Things in England’ (1922) and ‘Cornish Recipes, Ancient and Modern’ (1929) showing typical pasty recipes.
Research has shown that the associations between the pasty and Cornwall are as strong today as 200 years ago, both inside the county and beyond. Tourists have been visiting Cornwall since the development of railway links into the county, leading to the Cornish Pasty becoming an integral part of the visitors experience.
Method of Production
P a s t r y
The pastry can be either shortcrust, rough puff or puff depending on the bakers’ individual recipe. After filling, the pastry can be marked for product identification purposes, e.g. knife hole, scoring or pastry cut-out shape and can be glazed with milk, egg or both which will provide its golden colour. The pastry case is savoury and robust enough to retain shape throughout the cooking, cooling and handling process and serves to avoid splitting or cracking.
P a s t y F i l l i n g
The filling ingredients for Cornish Pasties consist of:
— sliced or diced potato,
— swede,
— onion,
— (vegetable content of the pasty must not be less than 25 %),
— diced or minced beef,
— (meat content of the pasty must not be less than 12,5 %),
— seasoning to taste, primarily salt and pepper.
No other types of meat, vegetables, e.g. carrot, or any artificial additives are to be used in the filling and all filling ingredients must be uncooked at the time of sealing the product.
Note: Traditionally, in Cornwall ‘swede’ is referred to as ‘turnip’ so the two terms are interchangeable, but the actual ingredient is ‘swede’.
On assembling Cornish Pasties, the pasties are D-shaped and pastry edges are crimped either by hand or mechanically to one side, and never on top.
The whole pasty is slow-baked to ensure that flavours from the raw ingredients are maximised. Another distinctive feature of the Cornish Pasty is that whilst the constituent ingredients are discernable in appearance, taste and texture, the fusion of the flavours arising from the raw beef and vegetables create a balanced and natural savoury taste throughout the product. The pastry also takes on light savoury notes.
Cornish Pasties must be free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. They are sold in a variety of sizes and weights and through a range of outlets including butchers and bakers shops, supermarkets, delicatessens and food service outlets.
Assembly of the pasties in preparation for baking must take place in the designated area.
The actual baking does not have to be done within the geographical area, it is possible to send the finished but unbaked and/or frozen pasties to bakers or other outlets outside the area where they can be baked in ovens for consumption.
Producers
The Cornish Pasty Association represents 53 of the producers of the Cornish Pasty:
The Cornish Pasty Association
c/o Cornwall Development Company
The Old Dry
South Wheal Crofty
Station Road
Pool
Redruth
TR15 3QG
01209 616 097
info@cornishpastyassociation.co.uk
www.cornishpastyassociation.co.uk
Members
Aunt Avice’s Pasty Shop
Unit 1, St Kew Service Station
St Kew Highway
Bodmin
Cornwall PL30 3ED
Aunty Mays
3 The Coombe
Newlyn
Penzance
Cornwall TR18 5HS
Baker Hatt Pasty Shop
Greendale
Ellbridge Lane
Hatt
Cornwall PL12 6PU
Barnett Fare
5a Normandy Way
Bodmin
Cornwall PL31 1EX
www.barnettfare.co.uk
Berryman’s Bakery
Penandrea
Redruth
Cornwall TR15 2EE
www.cornish-pasty.co.uk
Blakes The Master Bakers
5 Dean Street
Liskeard
Cornwall PL14 4AA
www.blakes-bakery.netfirms.com
Bridge House B+B
4 Alexandra Terrace
Well Park Road
Drakewalls
Gunnislake
Cornwall PL18 9DT
Chacewater Bakery
5 Fore Street
Chacewater
Truro
TR4 8PS
www.chacewaterbakery.co.uk
Chapel Bakery
St Keyne
Liskeard
Cornwall PL14 4SG
Cornish Country Meats
Treverbyn Mill
Liskeard
Cornwall PL14 6HG
Cornish Miner
Custom House Quay
Falmouth
Cornwall TR11 3LH
Cornish Pasty Co Mobile
Barlendew
Qunitrell Downs
Newquay
Cornwall TR8 4LJ
Cornish Premier Pasties
4 Hurling Way
St Columb Major Business Park
St Columb Major
Cornwall TR9 6SX
www.cornishpremierpasties.co.uk
Crantock Bakery Ltd
Unit 2 Lodge Way
Indian Queens Ind Est
St Columb
Cornwall TR9 6TF
www.crantockbakery.co.uk
Crib Box Cornish Pasties
5 Mount Charles Road
St Austell
Cornwall PL25 3SB
Dashers Cornish Bakery
63 Fore Street
Torpoint
Cornwall PL11 2AB
www.dasherspasties.com
Gear Farm Shop
St Martin
Helston
Cornwall TR12 6DE
Ginsters
Tavistock Road
Callington
Cornwall
PL17 7XG
www.ginsters.co.uk
Hampson of Hayle
20 Chapel Terrace
Hayle
Cornwall
TR27 4AB
Jaspers Quality Foods
Treburley
Launceston
Cornwall
PL15 9PU
Jessie’s Dairy
11 Fore Street
Mousehole
Penzance
Cornwall
TR19 6TQ
Lansdowne Bakery
16 Lansdowne Road
Bude
Cornwall
EX23 8BH
Lavender Delicatessen
6a Alverton Street
Penzance
Cornwall
TR18 2QW
Lostwithiel Bakery 15 Liskerrett Road
St Martins Meadow
Liskeard
Cornwall
PL14 3UG
Morris Pasties
The Pasty Shoppe Ltd
69 Fore Street
St Colmb Major
Cornwall
TR9 6AJ
Nile’s Bakery
The Bakery
Morven Trading Estate
St Austell
Cornwall
PL25 4PP
Parkers Bakery
2 Southgate Place
Madford Lane
Launceston
Cornwall
PL15 9DX
Pasty Line
Unit 10 Water-ma-Trout Ind Est
Helston
Cornwall
TR13 0LW
Pasty Shak
Unit 14 Longstone Business Park
Windsor Lane
Saltash
Cornwall
PL12 6DS
Pearns Pasties of Par
13 Harbour Road
Par
Cornwall
PL24 2BD
Pellows Family Bakers Ltd
Unit 12 Longrock Ind. Est.
Penzance
Cornwall
TR20 8HX
Pengenna Pasties
Highfield Road Ind. Estate
Camelford
Cornwall
PL32 9RA
www.pengennapasties.co.uk
Philps Bakery
Philps Pasties
1 East Quay
Hayle
Cornwall
TR27 4BJ
www.philpsbakery.co.uk
Polmorla Pasties
Unit 6d Kingshill Ind Est
Bude
Cornwall
EX23 8QN
www.polmorlapasties.co.uk
Prima Foods
Wheal Rose Bakery
Scorrier
Redruth
Cornwall
TR16 5BX
www.primabakeries.com
Proper Cornish Ltd
Western House
Lucknow Road
Bodmin
Cornwall
Pl31 1EZ
www.propercornish.co.uk
Purdys Bakery
Seasons
6 Windsor Place
Liskeard
Cornwall
PL14 6BH
Ralph’s Bakery
The Bakery
4 The Square
Portscatho
Truro
Cornwall
TR2 5HW
Rippons Bakery
Lor-An Point Mills
Bissoe
Truro
Cornwall
TR4 8QY
Sarah’s Pasty Shop
Fore Street
Looe
Cornwall
PL13 1AD
St Agnes Bakery
Bakery Cottage
Churchtown
St Agnes
Cornwall
TR5 0QP
01872 552308
St Keverne Bakery
Treskewes Ind Estate
St Keverne
Cornwall
TR12 6RA
St Martins Bakery
St Martins
Isles of Scilly
Cornwall
TR25 0QL
Tamar Foods
83 Tavistock Road
Callington
Cornwall
PL17 7TA
www.samworthbrothers.co.uk/ourcompany_sub.asp?WID=9
Tavistock Bakery
Fore St
East Looe
Cornwall
PL13 1AD
The Chough Bakery
Unit 4A
Trecerus Industrial Estate
Padstow
Cornwall
PL28 8RW
sales@thechoughbakery.co.uk
www.thechoughbakery.co.uk
The Cornish Oggy Oggy Pasty Co
17a Alverton Street
Penzance
Cornwall
TR18 2QP
The Cornish Oven Ltd
Unit 7 Barncoose Ind Est
Wilson Way
Pool
Redruth
Cornwall
TR15 3RQ
The Cornish Pasty Company
Quethiock House
Ganges Close
Mylor Harbour
Falmouth
Cornwall
TR11 5UG
The Count House Café
Geevor Tin Mine
Pendeen
Penzance
TR19 7EW
The Pasty Line
Unit 10 Water-ma-Trout Industrial Estate
Heltson
Cornwall
TR130LW
01326 573738
The Pasty Shop
6 Buller St
East Looe
Cornwall
PL13 1AS
The Pasty Shop Bakery
3a Church St
Callington
Cornwall
PL17 7RE
WC Rowe
Bickland Ind Est
Falmouth
Cornwall
TR11 4TP
www.wcrowe.com
Warrens
Bosweddon Rd
St Just
Penzance
Cornwall
TR19 7JP
www.warrensbakery.co.uk
West Cornwall Pasty Company
Holbrook The Moors
Porthleven
Helston
Cornwall
TR13 8HT
Westcountry Bakery
Unit 18 & 19 Trevol Business Park
Torpoint
Cornwall
PL11 2TB
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