Winners Announced at First Global Pasty Championships in Cornwall

Bakers from Bristol claimed top honours at the first Global Pasty Championships, held at The Lost Gardens of Heligan on Saturday 28th February.

The Championships, organised in partnership with the Cornish Pasty Association, took place under a rare glimpse of Cornish sunshine, with spring flowers beginning to bloom around the Heligan gardens.

Nearly 100 competitive bakers and pasty companies brought their creations to Heligan, with winners chosen by a panel of expert judges across six categories. Thousands more visitors attended to enjoy the day, which also featured live music from Cornish artists including Hedluv + Passman and Strange Almond.

Individual Category Winners

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

Full Results from the 2026 Global Pasty Championships

Cornish pasty junior
First – Leo Weller from Liskeard
Second – Jago Porter from St Austell

Alternative pasty junior
First – Finley McKeever from Bristol, with a chicken, peppers, mushroom and onion fajita pasty
Second – Josie Farr from Bristol, with a pepperoni, mozzarella, tomato and onion pasty
Third – Ruby McKeever from Bristol, with a cheese, bean and veggie sausage pasty

Cornish pasty individual
First – Vanessa Farr from Bristol
Second – Richard Searle from Watchet in Somerset
Third – David Timmins from St Austell

Alternative pasty individual
First – Max Baker from Bristol, with a chicken in BBQ sauce pasty
Second – David Timmins from St Austell, with a macaroni cheese, bacon and onion pasty
Third – David Timmins from St Austell, with a beef steak and kidney and bacon lardon pasty

Cornish pasty company
First – Phat Pasty
Second – Rowe’s Bakery
Third – Proper Cornish

Alternative pasty company
First – Rowe’s Bakery with a feta, butternut squash, spinach and red onion pasty
Second – Rowe’s Bakery with a cauliflower, cheddar and mozzarella pasty
Third – The Vegan Pasty Company with a soya mince vegan pasty

Company Success

Phat Pasty won the Cornish pasty company category.

Rowe’s Bakery took the alternative pasty company category with a feta, butternut squash, spinach and red onion pasty.

Fastest Crimper Titles Decided

The Championships also hosted the CPA-run World’s Fastest Crimper competition, with around 60 adults and children competing to crimp a single pasty against the clock.

The participant who travelled the furthest was Yuriko Shigyo from Tokyo, Japan, who took part in the competition for the second consecutive year.

Yuriko 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.”

Winner of the adult class was bakery operative Michaela Dash from Penryn, who has worked with Rowe’s for 30 years. Michaela recorded a 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.

In the children’s class, eight-year-old Darcey Hill from Mevagissey won with a time of 13.68 seconds. After collecting her prize, Darcey said: “It’s really brightened my day.”

A Celebration of Cornish Pasty Week

The Global Pasty Championships marked the grand finale of Cornish Pasty Week, which celebrates Cornwall’s culinary gift to the world and highlights the importance of the £300m Cornish pasty industry.

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 10th edition of Cornish Pasty Week.”