A brief history of the Cornish pasty

The Cornish pasty has been a hearty snack for busy people on the move for over 300 years. Local miners and farm workers favoured the portable meal. The pastry case kept meat and vegetables clean, whilst helping to retain the distinctive flavour.

For tin miners, the pastry crimp was used as a handle and then thrown away as their hands were contaminated with dust from the mines. There is a wealth of folklore and legend surrounding the Cornish Pasty, including the tale that the Devil would never enter Cornwall for fear of being put in a pasty

Cornwall has been a hugely popular holiday destination since the 1940s; in the past, holidaymakers would frequently return home and tell people they knew about the tasty snack. Some even took a few samples home with them. The popularity of the Cornish pasty was spreading. So much so, that many people tried – and failed – to figure out the unique Cornish recipe and take advantage of the trend.

There has been much competition for the title of Britain’s best pasty but, as the Cornish variety has grown in popularity, the Ginsters Original Cornish Pasty has grown to become the biggest-selling savoury product in the UK market.