Who Will Be Crowned King of the Crust? Global Pasty Championships Coming to Cornwall

Published On: 7 November 2025Last Updated: 7 November 2025By CornishStuff

The Lost Gardens of Heligan will host the first ever Global Pasty Championships on Saturday 28th February 2026, celebrating the finest Cornish pasty makers from around the world.

A Celebration of Cornwall’s Favourite Food

Taking place the weekend before St Piran’s Day, the national day for Cornwall, the event will be the grand finale of the ninth Cornish Pasty Week, organised by the Cornish Pasty Association.

The competition will bring together professional bakers, companies and home cooks, all aiming to be crowned the best in the world. There are six categories open for entries:

Cornish pasty company: For companies producing Cornish pasties under UK GI rules. Pasties must be commercially available.
Alternative pasty company: For companies producing savoury pasties that don’t meet UK GI rules, such as those made outside Cornwall or with non-traditional fillings.
Cornish pasty individual: Open to anyone aged 16 or over, amateur or professional, following UK GI rules.
Alternative pasty individual: For anyone aged 16 or over making savoury pasties that don’t meet UK GI rules.
Cornish pasty junior: For young bakers aged five to 15 (with an adult helper if needed) making Cornish pasties under UK GI rules.
Alternative pasty junior: For young bakers aged five to 15 (with an adult helper if needed) making non-UK GI compliant savoury pasties.

📷CPA mascots Mr and Mrs Pasty.

Crimping, Competitions and Culinary Fun

Alongside the main contest, visitors can enjoy a speed-crimping competition, pasty-themed workshops, and a programme of live entertainment.

David Harland, chief executive of The Lost Gardens of Heligan, said:

“We are delighted to be launching the Global Pasty Championships at Heligan, the spiritual home of the Cornish pasty. This will be an event stuffed full of pasty-themed fun and entertainment, all encased in a crimped golden crust of elite culinary competition.

Whether you are an oggy artisan looking to prove your Cornish cooking chops against the best in the world or a pasty aficionado looking for the best place to celebrate St Piran’s Day with a pint, pasty and party, the Global Pasty Championships has you covered.”

📷David Harland (wearing a green jacket), chief executive of The Lost Gardens of Heligan, and Jason Jobling (black fleece), CPA chairman, sample pasties made to the 1764 Heligan recipe at the Lost Gardens yesterday (Thursday).

Honouring the Pasty’s Heritage

The Lost Gardens of Heligan has deep historical ties to the Cornish pasty, with the first known written record of a pasty recipe discovered there. A letter sent in 1764 to John Tremayne, then squire of Heligan, included a recipe for a mutton pasty.

Today, the Cornish pasty industry contributes around £300 million a year to the economy, and the dish’s influence has spread worldwide thanks to Cornish miners who took it with them to countries such as the USA, Mexico and Australia.

Jason Jobling, chairman of the Cornish Pasty Association, said:

“Hats off to The Lost Gardens of Heligan for creating this exciting new event celebrating Cornwall’s favourite food, the not-so-humble pasty, and its many global variations.

Cornish Pasty Week is now embedded in the calendar and the new Global Pasty Championships promises to be a fitting finale.

Inviting juniors to join in with the help of an adult is a great way to keep up Cornwall’s fine baking traditions and encourage the next generation of pasty makers.”

Protected and Proud

The Cornish pasty holds UK Geographical Indication (UK GI) status, placing it alongside regional classics like Melton Mowbray pork pies and traditional Cumberland sausages. To qualify, genuine Cornish pasties must be made in Cornwall and adhere to strict rules regarding ingredients and production methods.

The Cornish Pasty Association, a non-profit organisation, oversees this designation and represents producers from small independent bakeries to major manufacturers, promoting genuine Cornish pasties around the world.