Rowe’s Bakery steps up to protect Cornwall’s sewers

Making pasties on the scale Rowe’s does leaves a fair bit behind. Fat, oil, grease, vegetable peelings and offcuts of dough. None of it looks like much on its own. Put it down the wrong pipe and it builds up fast.

Rowe’s Bakery is keeping that waste out of the sewer network with support from South West Water and its partner Environmental Compliance and Services, known as ECAS.

Cornwall’s favourite treat

Rowe’s has been serving traditional crimped Cornish pasties for generations, along with sausage rolls and other pastry treats across its bakeries. As demand for the local delicacy holds, the company has been looking at how to make its production as sustainable as it is tasty.

Working with ECAS, the bakery set out to keep fat, oil and grease, vegetable peelings and pasty dough out of the sewers. Those are the materials that cause blockages and pollution once they reach the network.

What ends up in the sewers

In 2025, South West Water cleared more than 7,000 avoidable blockages across its wastewater network, removing around 450 tonnes of waste. About three-quarters of those blockages came down to two things: wet wipes and FOG.

ECAS works on behalf of South West Water. It investigates sites linked to blockages after the fact, and visits businesses in known hotspot areas where blockages are more likely to happen.

Richard Price, Managing Director of Wastewater Services at South West Water, said: “It’s great to see an iconic Cornish business like Rowe’s taking positive steps to keep fat, oil, grease and food waste out of the sewer network. Partnerships like this show how simple changes can make a big difference in reducing blockages and protecting the region’s coastline and communities.”

New grease traps at five bakeries

After site visits and technical advice from ECAS, Rowe’s is upgrading its grease management at several of its bakeries. That includes new grease traps at its Bodmin, Camborne, Newquay, Penzance and Redruth stores.

Anthony Crocker, Facilities Manager at Rowe’s, said: “We’ve really welcomed the support from ECAS and South West Water. They’ve helped us review how we manage our waste and identify practical improvements that make a real difference.

“We’re proud of our pasties and keen to make sure Cornwall’s favourite treat is produced in a way that doesn’t harm the beautiful Cornish countryside or coastline. Working together means we can keep improving while continuing to serve the quality our customers expect.”

Marc Downes, Regional Performance Manager at ECAS, added: “My team proactively visited Rowe’s and other food businesses as part of South West Water’s ‘Bin It Don’t Block It’ campaign to target areas of Cornwall where blockages were more prevalent. Together with Rowe’s, we’re helping prevent sewer blockages and reduce the risk of pollution from blocked pipes, which can cause waste to spill into communities and the environment.

“I’m not a Cornishman myself, but I travel to Cornwall often for work, and I can honestly say they’re a difficult food to resist. The smell alone is so enticing!”

More information is on South West Water’s Bin It, Don’t Block It page: https://www.southwestwater.co.uk/household/your-services/your-wastewater/bin-it-dont-block-it