World Pasty Championships

Competitors from Canada and the USA are among more than 100 contestants in the World Pasty Championships at the Eden Project, Saturday February 28.

Fisherman’s Friends headline the entertainment.

The “Oscars of the Oggy” are returning to Eden for the fourth year running, with amateur and professional pasty makers from near and far taking part in the contest and an unrivalled line-up of music and comedy. The event is a celebration of Cornwall’s favourite dish and always takes place on the Saturday before St Piran’s Day.

Highlights:

· 9am-10am – entrants register their pasties in Eden’s Link Building between the Biomes.

· 10am – entertainment starts on the stage outside the Link Building.

· 10.45am – photocall with the judging panel, including the Mayors of St. Blazey and St. Austell, a Cornish Bard and a host of pasty aficionados. They will be available to be photographed by a display of competition pasties.

· 11am – entertainment starts on the Mediterranean Biome stage. Jon Cleave of the Fisherman’s Friends is MC. Jon will also be reading from and signing his book Nasty Pasty during the day.

· 12.45pm - The Great Cornish Crimp Off. Who will be acclaimed top crimper?

· 2.30pm – Colin “Grand Theft Cornwall” Leggo brings his unique take on Cornish culture. (Mediterranean Biome stage).

· 3.30pm - Hedluv and Passman, Cornwall's premier hip-hop duo, return to the championships (Mediterranean Biome stage).

· 4.30pm - Fisherman's Friends headline the entertainment line-up. (Mediterranean Biome stage).

· 5.30pm – Photo opp: The celebrated Oggy Oscars awards take place on the Mediterranean Biome stage. Winners in all nine categories will be announced and receive their trophies.

Charity day: For the second year running Eden has teamed up with the Cornwall Community Foundation to help raise awareness of some of Cornwall’s charities. On site will be nine charities showcasing their work.

Demos: During the day there will pasty demonstrations and workshops. Marion Symonds from Portreath Bakery, known as Mamma Pasty in Mexico, will be sharing her experience of making the perfect Mexican sweet pasty and a classic Cornish pasty. Previous World Pasty Champion Graham Cornish will also be revealing his pasty tricks of the trade.

Competitors: Entries are pouring into the pasty-making competition from companies, professional cooks and bakers and keen amateurs competing for the eight titles on offer. The ninth trophy is the Pasty Ambassador Award.

Cornwall-born Terry O’Connor, who now lives in Watford, will be returning after triumphing in the Cornish pasty amateur section last year. Terry was taught how to bake by his father.

Among those giving the contest a truly international flavour are Cornwall-born Mike Amery and his friend Louisa Haggerty from New Hope, Pennsylvania, who jointly won the special Pasty Ambassador Award in 2013. They couldn’t make it last year due to severe weather but are returning this year especially for the championships.

London-born Matt Grant, a baker in the Canadian capital Ottawa, runs The Great British Pasty and Pie Co. with the support of his partner Jen Debenham and delivers pasties from a Land Rover. His father grew up in Plymouth, Devon, and his mother is from Dublin. Matt is planning to enter several flavours into the Open Savoury Company category.

Community Event
Eden Project near
Cornwall