Bristol dominates at the Global Pasty Championships

Bakers from Bristol have won both individual titles and one of the two junior categories at the first Global Pasty Championships at The Lost Gardens of Heligan on Saturday.

The Championships, which are organised in partnership with the Cornish Pasty Association (CPA), took place under a rare glimpse of Cornish sunshine and with spring flowers starting to bloom around the Heligan gardens.

Vanessa Farr from Bristol triumphed in the prestigious Cornish pasty individual category, having travelled to Cornwall to bake her pasty.

Vanessa said: “I’m pleased to win this because I was up against professional bakers as well as amateurs so this is a big one.”

Fellow Bristolian winners included Max Baker, who won the alternative pasty individual category with a chicken in BBQ sauce pasty, and Finley McKeever who triumphed in the alternative pasty junior category with a chicken fajita pasty. All three podium places in the alternative pasty junior category were claimed by Bristol.

Phat Pasty triumphed in the Cornish pasty company category and Rowe’s Bakery won the alternative pasty company category with a feta butternut squash, spinach and red onion pasty.

The first annual Global Pasty Championships saw nearly 100 competitive bakers and pasty companies bring their lovingly crafted pasties to Heligan, with winners being chosen by a panel of expert judges across six categories.

Thousands more visited to take in the pasty pageantry, with live music from Cornish artists including Hedluv + Passman and Strange Almond throughout the day. 

David Harland, chief executive of The Lost Gardens of Heligan, said: “We’ve had a wonderful day celebrating the best of Cornish cuisine at Heligan in a manner that would make St Piran himself proud – eating lots of pasties and dancing to some proper Cornish tunes. Congratulations to all the winners, thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us and happy St Piran’s Day for next week to everyone in Cornwall.”

Jason Jobling, chairman of the Cornish Pasty Association, said: "The Global Pasty Championships has been a fantastic celebration of our national dish and a great way to bring a most memorable Cornish Pasty Week to a close.

"Hats off to all the brilliant participants in the pasty making and speed crimping competitions and to The Lost Gardens of Heligan for staging this wonderful event.

"We're already looking forward to next year - and it will be a big one with the 10^th edition of Cornish Pasty Week." 

The participant who travelled from furthest afield was Yuriko Shigyo, who came from Tokyo, Japan. For the second year running she took part in the CPA-run World's Fastest Crimper competition. 

She said: "I really enjoyed returning to the crimping competition. The gardens here are so beautiful.  I'm looking forward to coming again next year to enter the pasty contest."

Around 60 adults and children entered the World's Fastest Crimper contest, each crimping a single pasty against the clock.

Winner in the adult class was bakery operative Michaela Dash from Penryn, who has worked with Rowe's for 30 years. Michaela triumphed with an impressive time of 5.38 seconds and said she was chuffed with the result as this was the first time she had entered a crimping contest. 

Winner in the children's class with a time of 13.68 seconds was Darcey Hill, aged eight, from Mevagissey, who said she had only crimped once before, on school camp. After collecting her prized, Darcey said:  "It's really brightened my day." 

The Global Pasty Championships were the grand finale of Cornish Pasty Week, which aims to celebrate Cornwall’s culinary gift to the world and highlight the importance of the £300m Cornish pasty industry.