Cornish Pasty Week 2026 Set to Support Cooking in Cornwall Schools

Cornish Pasty Week 2026 is set to return later this month, with schools across Cornwall once again set to benefit from the annual celebration of the county’s best-known food.

The event begins on Sunday 23rd February and will culminate in a new global competition at The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Pasty Week returns with a schools focus

Organised by the Cornish Pasty Association, Cornish Pasty Week will again support the Cornish Pasty Community Fund, which helps improve cooking and food skills in schools.

Since its launch, the week has raised more than £35,000, supporting nearly 60 schools across Cornwall. Funding has helped schools buy equipment such as cookers and aprons, grow ingredients, run cookery sessions and take part in food-related trips.

One of the schools to receive support from funds raised in 2025 is Camborne Science and International Academy. The academy is developing plans for a school food garden in partnership with Cornwall-based young people’s charity RJ Working.

The project includes plans for gardening tools, polytunnels, raised beds and a food waste composting machine, supported by a £2,000 grant from the community fund.

Ninth year for Cornish Pasty Week

This year marks the ninth edition of Cornish Pasty Week. Chairman of the Cornish Pasty Association, Jason Jobling, said:

“It’s exciting to think that spring is around the corner and the ninth edition of Cornish Pasty Week will soon be here.

As well as celebrating our national dish, we’re delighted to be raising funds to promote cooking in schools, ranging from small primaries to big establishments such as Camborne, helping create experiences that children will remember for many years.

Once again pasty makers and bakers will be pledging part of their pasty sales to the community fund. The initiative goes from strength to strength and our message to schools is that there is still time to apply.”

A key aim of the association is to champion and protect the authenticity and distinctiveness of the genuine Cornish pasty, with Cornish Pasty Week used as a way to promote this.

Global Pasty Championships at Heligan

The week will end with the first Global Pasty Championships, taking place at The Lost Gardens of Heligan on Saturday 28th February, the weekend before St Piran’s Day.

Mr and Mrs Pasty, the event’s mascots, will be appearing around the county during the week and may also travel beyond Cornwall. They recently visited Heligan, where they took part in a warm-up skate at the site’s Neon Jungle Roller Skating Rink.

The championships will include an open competition to find the World’s Fastest Crimper, complete with a leader board. Last year’s crimp-off at the Great Cornish Food Store in Truro attracted entrants from as far away as Japan.

There will also be children’s pasty-making classes led by the Cornish Pasty Association, with Mr and Mrs Pasty among those taking part.

At the centre of the event will be competitions to find the best pasties in the world, with categories for traditional recipes and more unusual creations. These are open to both individuals and companies, alongside junior categories where young bakers can enter with adult support if needed.

Entries for the Global Pasty Championships are still open. More information and entry details can be found on the Lost Gardens of Heligan website.