This cherished treasure of the far west of England has achieved special status.
The European commission ruled yesterday that the Cornish Pasty has won Protected Geographical Status or PGS; in other words, it’s officially Pretty Good Stuff!
The EU ruling states that a genuine Cornish pasty has to have a distinctive “D” shape, and be crimped on one side, not on the top.
“The texture of the filling is chunky, made up of uncooked minced or roughly cut chunks of beef (not less than 12.5%), swede, potato, and onion with a light seasoning.” Not good for type two-ers!
I know something about this great local delicacy. I spent an entire morning’s filming inside the coach that completed Ross Poldark’s return from the American War, the first scene of the series, having the intricacies of pasty making explained to me, between takes, by a delightful lady extra called Elizabeth Coad.
I also learned from a former miner the reason these beauties have an indented ridge over the top. Apparently during a day’s work at the tin or copper face, often two to three thousand feet below the surface, a miner’s fingers would become impregnated with poison from the metal and the ridge of pastry was what he held the pasty by, to be discarded afterwards. The pasties often contained a two course meal–the meat and potato in one half and apple in the other! Miners used to leave a small portion of their pasties down the mine after their shift for the ghosts of old miners, the Knockers they called them.
Real Cornish miners having a pasty break.
"Miners" in costume.
Robin Ellis 
Although not the kind of thing I’ll be cooking for dinner any time soon….your recounting of the history was very interesting!
Hello Robin,
The pasty news has caused much excitement here in Cornwall. I read that approx 106 million pasties cross the Tamar every year, not to mention those consumed here! Personally I can live without them quite happily.
This is a great blog – please keep it up – I have several friends who are type two-ers. Do I understand correctly that you manage your diabetes entirely without insulin?
Jane
Thanks Jane,
Pasty makers will be flocking to Cornwall to make their fortunes! Influx of grockles, outpouring of pasties.
Yes –no insulin so far-one pill a day now.
Robin
Robin,
This past summer we spent a week in the Cornwall region and had a wonderful time in Tintagel, St. Ives and St. Michael’s Mount. We ate more pasties then we should have. I must add however, as delicious as all the Pasties were, there was one food item I discovered that will forever have me singing the praises of the English…..Clotted Cream!
Keep up the great work on your blog. Am really enjoying it and this evening we are trying your Penne with cauliflower sauce.
Cheers, Strat
I have never tried a Cornish Pasty and I be middle aged!!! I am going to try one, cos I think I am missing out.
Hello Robin,
Saw the topic of the Cornish Pasty.I remember I had the best one in Charlestown UK (near St.Austell) and actually unexpected.I did the trip trough Cornwall about 15 years ago for a month and stopped in this nice town, where they taped several scene’s of Poldark like they said.
It was very nice, when I asked in the local postoffice overthere they way back to take the bus, I saw some real Cornish pasties there, very big and home made by the woman who runs the post office.I was hungry and asked to warm one up(it just fitted in her micro wave).It costed me only £ 1 and really I was eating it on the bus stop(20 min.waiting) and when the bus arrived, I done the rest quickly in a napkin, because it was still not finished.It was the best” snack” (infact it was a big meal) I ever had in the UK and because it was so big it was hilarious and so tasty.I had several good meals in the UK but this one I specially remember with a smile.
Have a nice Easter Monday Robin and say hello from me to the cats. Kindly regards ,Chantal.
You too, Chantal–and thanks fpr the pasty story.
Thank you Robin and have a nice week.
desearia poder contactar con robin ellis porque soy una graqn fans española y desearia de todo corazon un autogafo de mi idolo como podria consequirlo por favor porque para mi es muy importante
gracias de todo corazon
desde españa andalucia sevilla una gran fans de robin ellis desde los 13 años desearia de todo corazon poder consequir un autografo de mi gran idolo como y donde podria consequirlo para mi es muy importante lo pido de corazon donde tengo que pedirlo.
gracias.
I’ve always wanted to eat a pasty, having read about them in Books about England and Cornwall. I doubt if I’ll get one here- living in a delightful retirement community with a real honest-to-goodness French chef.. I am on the Food Committee here and wonder what would happen if I were to ask him at our next meeting to make some pasties. Also I’ve never had a scone.
Louise Gover
Robin, I love and have always in my mind this scene from Poldark. When Ross meet Demelza for the first time at market and she is eating -in a not too much elegant way- Pastry!!! Cheerful!! Besides there are new pastry-shop in London (chain store): The West Pasty Cornwall Company. Delicious pastyes, in Italy we have the similar named “Panzerotto”, ciao!!
Dear Robin, I come to this blog rather late! Firstly I am so excited as the first series of Poldark is why I have a daughter called Demelza. I grew up in Cornwall and remember that the catholic chuch had to change their evening mass times as everyone was at home, glued to their screens! I have lived in France for 3O years now and publish a Frenh podcast called La Crème Anglaise all about British food. It was while researching my episode for Cornish pasties with another Cornish lass who has set up a teashop in Clermont Ferrand that I came across your blog. I have of course signed up to it and would be so honoured if I could interview you for my podcast? Healthy English food, that must exist? !!!