The Great Cornish Pasty

Did you know there is a Cornish Pasty Week every year?  In 2026 it culminated in the Global Pasty Championships, hosted by the Lost Gardens of Heligan on the Saturday before St. Piran’s Day.  And during this week, between 23rd of February and the 1st of March 2026, members of the What Cornwall Thinks panel shared their thoughts on one of Cornwall’s proudest symbols.

The results? A mix of hearty enthusiasm, strong opinions, culinary passion, and more than a little friendly argument about turnips. (Or should we say swedes? We’ll get to that…)

How often are we actually eating them?

Pasties are clearly still part of everyday life, but not necessarily a daily habit.
Across the panel:

• Nearly two thirds (63%) only eat a pasty occasionally (once a month or less)
• One in five treat themselves 2-3 times a month (19%).
• A devoted minority (10%) indulge weekly, whilst a similar number (8%) say they never touch them at all.

We are a county of both the devout pasty‑eaters and the devout pasty‑avoiders – and everyone in between!

Where do people get their pasty fix?

When Cornish people do indulge in a pasty, most prefer to get it from a local bakery (81%) whilst one in eight (12%) usually have homemade ones.  9% often get theirs from a pasty shop chain, with relatively few regularly eating pasties from supermarkets, cafes, pubs, farmer’s markets, food stalls or the like.

So… do people actually like them?

Yes – overwhelmingly.
Most said they absolutely love them (59%) and another 30% quite like them.

One in twenty (5%) are not fussed (“meh”, “Can take them or leave them”) and an equal number (5%) are not fans.

The anatomy of the perfect pasty

What makes the perfect pasty?  Potentially a highly controversial question, and everyone has their own personal preferences, of course, but apart from one issue, the What Cornwall Thinks panel were fairly unified:

• Side crimp (92%) not top crimp (8%)
• With swede/turnip (88%) rather than without (12%)
• Out of the bag (87%) not on a plate (13%)
• Meat- heavy (73%) more than veg-heavy (27%)
• Shortcrust pastry (66%) not flaky (34%).

So what was element most likely to split our panel’s opinion?

Seasoning.

More (59%) favour lots of pepper than those who like their pasty mildly seasoned (41%), but this was the issue with the least unanimity.

What must be true for a pasty to be called Cornish?

The most essential criteria were:

• It must be actually made in Cornwall (88%)
• It must follow the traditional recipe (meat, potato, swede/turnip, onion) (74%)
• Hand‑made / hand-crimped was important to many (53%)
• A smaller group believe side crimping is integral (41%)
• One in ten (9%) feel that if it wasn’t made by a Cornish person, it shouldn’t be called a Cornish pasty.

Adventurous fillings: How wild will Cornwall go?

Alongside traditional steak, people do like a cheese and onion pasty (52%).  Other popular non‑traditional choices included:

• Vegetable(32%)
• Chicken & leek (27%)
• Pork & apple (22%)
• Curry‑spiced pasties (22%)
• Lamb & mint (21%)

However, a sizeable chunk (22%) said it’s traditional or nothing.

Other (less popular, but still enjoyed by some) shout‑outs included:
Mushroom, Sausage & beans, and even sweet pasties (e.g. chocolate, banana).

Buying pasties compared with a year ago

Pasty consumption is declining amongst the What Cornwall Thinks panel.

Most people (69%) said they’re buying pasties about the same as last year.  But whilst 5% said they are buying more pasties as takeaway food compared with this time last year, 26% said they are doing so less often.

That’s a net 21% decrease.

A worrying statistic for an industry that generates around £300 million worth of trade for the Cornish economy each year, accounting for approximately 20% of the total turnover of Cornwall’s food and drink sector.

Are pasties good value for money?

Yes – two thirds think so (66%) compared with one in ten (9%) who do not.

(The remaining 22% neither agree nor disagree).

Other thoughts, opinions and passionate outbursts

The open‑ended responses were a treasure trove. Highlights include:

• Strong warnings that certain mass‑produced brands are not “proper pasties” (multiple mentions!).
• Many expressions of Cornish pride and pleas to keep the pasty traditional, using traditional recipes.
• Several calling out for more options for the vegetarians and vegans or those who are gluten-free.
• Some spoke of not liking them, avoiding them for dietary reasons, with one respondent suggesting “people get over-excited about them”.
• A few mentions of rising costs.

Some specific mentions of interest include a query as to whether the fillings are reduced in the summer months to stretch the fillings further when demand is higher, and one suggestion that rough puff pastry is a better alternative than either shortcrust or flaky pastry.

And as for that turnip / swede debate I mentioned?

“Pasties do not contain turnips. They are SWEDES! A turnip and a swede are two different vegetables so why do we call a swede a turnip? A turnip is white, a swede is yellow. Pasties are made with swedes!”

“You needed more criteria on the make-up of a pasty, regarding sliced veg (not diced), chopped skirt beef (not minced), distribution in layers along the length of the pasty, and no additions whatsoever to the traditional ingredients. But well done on calling it turnip. Ober da! Proper job!”

Love ‘em or loathe ‘em, most of us take our pasties seriously, and yes, maybe get a bit over-excited by them…!

So, in summary…

This survey shows that the Cornish pasty is far more than a snack – it’s a cultural icon, a personal preference, a source of identity, and occasionally a topic of heated debate.

Cornish residents may disagree on pepper levels, crimp direction, pastry type or whether to use turnip or swede – but they share a deep affection for the pasty as part of Cornwall’s character.

Pasties may be evolving, with vegan, veggie and adventurous flavours gaining fans, but the traditional steak pasty still holds its throne – hearty, portable, and unmistakably Cornish.

One respondent perhaps summed up the county’s enduring affection best:

“Cornish pasties are the best in the world.”

And from the tone of the responses to this survey, many would strongly agree.